Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal government has announced through the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development they will be closing the Steelworkers Toronto Job Action Centre on December 31, 2016. Our Job Action Centre services mostly older workers around 55-60 years old who have lost their jobs after 30-35 years of employment.

Many of these workers are difficult-to-place people who require training and considerable support. These industrial jobs are often lost through no fault of the workers themselves, but as the result of unfair free trade deals, outsourcing, and plant closures. In a time when Ontario’s unemployment rates are rising and the employment landscape continues to change, Ontarians need these services more than ever.

The GTA has the added element of a high proportion of racialized workers. Many of the Peer Helpers and administrative staff at the Toronto Steelworker Job Action Centre belong to this demographic. They know and understand our people.

The Toronto Steelworkers Job Action Centre assists these workers by training them in computer skills, decision making, retirement planning, EI and/or CPP applications, online job applications, and the many more services they need to find assistance and jobs in today’s world.

The Job Action Centre has the processes and the staff to provide a rapid response to the needs of affected workers with user-friendly services delivered at the union hall. They understand the skill sets of the manufacturing sector, the environment of the workplace, the culture and language, and the barriers of job searching. Each staff member has experienced their own plant closure and has worked in the manufacturing sector.

The Job Action Centre opened in 2003 and has successfully serviced 12,000 older and racialized workers with an adjustment rate of 85%. These people are your aunts, uncles, mothers, fathers, grandparents and friends.

Please help us continue to help them and fill out our petition to demand The Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development (The Liberals) keep our centre open! Thank you in advance.