By Anne Finlay-Stewart

Why are people with professional jobs, good wages, solid benefits and pensions handing a big cheque to a group trying to explain why others live without that security?

This is what I asked of Dick Hibma, representing the Society of Energy Professionals (SEP) in giving $2000 to Peace and Justice Grey Bruce for its ongoing initiative on precarious work.

This is broadly defined as "work that does not pay well enough to get you to the end of the month." Precarious workers might include part-time service staff, those without benefits who are self-employed or on contract, but their numbers definitely do not include the engineers, managers and accountants at Bruce Power for whom Hibma spoke.

"We know that our healthy wages and benefits have come from decades of union efforts," he said, "And I am not here to apologize for the security they have gained for us. I am here to speak for those who do not have that voice."

He went on to encourage Peace and Justice and its partners to look to those setting the agenda that leads to precarious work; "the CEOs who make more in the first week than the average worker makes in one year, [as well as] the MPs and MPPs."

Precarious work is just the latest of the many subjects Peace and Justice Grey Bruce has brought to the public's attention since the group of like-minded citizens came together more than a dozen years ago.

For them it is a justice issue. "Everyone has the right to a living wage – one that will feed the family, put a safe roof over their heads, and pay the bills at the end of the month," said Ann Schneider, a member of the organization's precarious work committee.

She said the money from the Society of Energy Professionals will be used to develop and distribute reports about the systemic reasons behind the rise in precarious work, and to help the group inform the public and challenge politicians to create policies that could make a difference.

They plan to begin that process by raising the issue in the upcoming municipal elections.

Community partners have gathered around this issue as they see its impact in the region. Precarious work and the resulting income inequality have been identified as factors in a variety of health and social problems. Although the minimum wage in Ontario was raised in June to $11.00 an hour, United Way of Bruce-Grey has calculated that a living wage, not including home ownership, retirement savings or childcare, would be $14.77 in Owen Sound, and $16.76 outside the city, where a car is almost essential.

Members of the local Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force also attended the announcement. Dr. Hazel Lynn, local Medical Officer of Health, said that when community members work together on this kind of issue, they will be "unstoppable."

Anne Finlay-Stewart is Community Editor of Owensoundhub.org. She can be reached at [email protected].