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Full-time work at minimum wage is not an escape from poverty.

No matter where you live in Canada, the minimum wage does not bring a full-time, year-round minimum wage worker up to the poverty line.

In 2006, 2.1 million workers across Canada - full and part-time - were low wage workers earning less than $10/hour.

Working poor parents are stuck behind a "low wage wall" in poorly paid jobs with few, if any, benefits or opportunities for education, training and advancement.

Almost 2 out of every 5 jobs - 37% - are considered "precarious", that is part-time, temporary, contract or self-employed. These jobs are unlikely to provide families with health and dental benefits or pensions.

2007 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Canada

Help reverse funding cuts to immigrant and refugee serving agencies

Post date: March 2, 2011

Olivia Chow NDP MP recently presented a motion to the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to reverse the $53 million in funding cuts to immigrant and refugee serving agencies across Canada, $44 million of which is being cut in Ontario. That motion was passed.

Today, the motion to reverse the $53 million in cuts is being debated in Parliament and will be voted on in the next few days. The importance of this motion is evident to all of us, and it is up to us to pressure our MPs to adopt this motion.

What you can do:

1) Forward this post to everyone you know.

2) Use this website to identify your MP and find their email address:

www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/compilations/houseofcommons/memberbypostalcode.aspx?menu=hoc

3) Use the form e-mail below to email your MP.

4) Encourage your friends, family and co-workers to email their MP.

Thanks you for your support.

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Form email:

Dear —-,

The successful integration and inclusion of immigrants and refugees is vital to a strong and cohesive Canada. The recent $53 million cut to immigrant and refugee serving agencies across Canada, and in particular the almost $44 million being cut in Ontario, threatens to undermine the important work that these agencies do. I am particularly concerned that these cuts were implemented without consulting and working with the immigrant and refugee serving sector.

I strongly urge you to vote in favour of the motion put forward by Olivia Chow and adopted by the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to reverse the cuts. Settlement and Integration programs and services are critical now more than ever to facilitate the successful integration of newcomers. Supporting this motion will ensure that the important work undertaken on behalf of Newcomers will continue without disruption and will reinforce our collective Canadian value of fairness.

Sincerely,