TORONTO– Unifor’s Ontario Regional Director and Human Rights Director wrote to Ontario Premier to demand the province immediately adopt the ONDP’s Bill-86, Our London Family Act.

“By refusing to support Bill 86 in the legislature last week, Ford revealed that his party and government does not consider the safety and well-being of Muslims in Ontario to be an imminent priority,” said Naureen Rizvi, Unifor Ontario Regional Director.

Unifor strongly supports and encourages members to support the proposals and amendments proposed in Bill-86. The union believes the Bill takes meaningful and concrete steps towards tackling hate and Islamophobia in key policy areas.

These key areas include greater restrictions against any political party or public rallies/demonstrations promoting hate against identifiable groups, new tools and strategies to combat racism in the public education system, annual anti-racism training for frontline workers in public organizations, establishing an Ontario Anti-Racism Advisory and Advocacy Council and creating safe zones around religious institutions.

“The Premier still has time to show Ontarians that racism and Islamophobia have no place in the province. Ontarians of all religious beliefs are urging the Premier to immediately pass Bill-86 before the dissolution of the legislature and the upcoming provincial election, said Christine Maclin, Unifor Director of Human Rights.

In a letter to the Premier, Rizvi and Maclin asked the Premier to change course and adopt this life-saving piece of legislation.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.