Decent Work Charter – Call to Action
Our collective action will change the sector
Ontario is located on the traditional territories of over 133 First Nations, including the home of many Inuit and Métis communities and peoples. Ontario is covered by 46 treaties, and other agreements, including land purchases by the Crown signed between 1781 and 1930.
Decent work is a practice, and framework to advance, and support the people driving change within the nonprofit sector. It provides the context to support healthy workplaces, equity, economic security, thriving businesses, and community well-being. In adopting the decent work charter, organizations are starting or continuing a process to support a decent work movement within Ontario’s nonprofit sector.
Decent work is a critical pathway to gender equity, racial justice, and reconciliation in the nonprofit sector, including businesses, social enterprises and organizations that seek to create equitable working conditions
As an organization committed to equity and creating equitable working conditions, we are signing this decent work charter to identify our commitment to decent work. This includes efforts to create stronger labour market standards, improved minimum wages, adequate benefits, and the provision of robust social supports that enable people’s labour market participation, including affordable childcare, transit, unemployment insurance, pensions, decent scheduling and expanding implementing practices of wellness.
As employers we are signing this decent work charter to confirm that we view decent work as an essential component of achieving our organizations’ missions and intended impacts. Ensuring that the passion, dedication and skills of the people attracted to our sector are effectively appreciated, developed and sustained directly benefits the well-being of community members and volunteers that our staff work with every day.
As leaders in our local communities we will also use our decent work charter to guide our efforts to support local economic practices that promote and sustain decent work. And when possible, we will work with other networks (e.g. Ontario Nonprofit Network) and key stakeholders (e.g. unions, local business associations) to generate collective actions that expand decent work conditions.
Making the commitment and actioning decent work[Organization name] actively seeks to support inclusive, healthy, and equitable communities. We acknowledge that decent work is central to creating the economic, and social opportunities that underpin individual, and community well-being. [Organization name] is therefore committed to championing decent work conditions and practices in our society, our local communities, and within our own organization. We view decent work as an essential component of achieving our mission. Our workers and volunteers are critical in serving our communities. If they are treated well they will excel and our communities will receive the best care. We also understand decent work as another pathway to advance gender equity, racial justice, and reconciliation within our organization and beyond. When our sector’s women-majority and racialized workforce can access decent work, it will ensure that historically discriminated against workers have economic security and their quality of life will improve. In this way then, we will move alongside gender equity, racial justice, and reconciliation movements. In signing the Decent Work Nonprofit Charter, our commitment to championing decent work values and practices will be guided by these commitments, and we will strive to work with others to generate collective actions which expand the decent work movement, and make it a reality for all. We will do this by: 1
Reflecting on our organizational commitment to decent work. Ensure that we regularly engage with equity seeking communities, and policy processes to advance collective efforts that promote decent work in our society. 2
Commiting to ongoing learning practices in our organizations that enable us to center relationship-building and wellbeing as part of decent work practices. 3
For settler-led organizations, getting specific about how our nonprofit will adapt, and integrate the 94 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, as part of our organizational decent work practices. 4
Implementing pathways to decent work, committing to periodically improving their clarity, responding to emerging challenges and opportunities, and evaluating the impacts of our individual, and collective efforts to advance decent work practices. 5
Assembling a “Decent Work Action Team”, composed of staff and board volunteers to help guide the implementation of our decent work commitments, and to pursue funding opportunities to support our ongoing networking, and capacity-building efforts. 6
On a yearly basis, reviewing commitment to the decent work charter, track progress of implementation, and share findings transparently (i.e. Annual General Meetings). Signed (Staff Member, if applicable) _____________________Dated:________________________________ Signed (Board Member, if applicable) ________________________Dated:____________________________ Witness (Community Member, if applicable): ___________________________________________________ |
