Monday, October 24th is municipal election day across Ontario!
In Toronto this year, with no big mayoral challenger for John Tory, there is a real risk that people will stay home on election day. That would be a mistake, because workers must elect progressive Toronto city councillors and school board trustees at the TDSB and TCDSB. Without them, rich developers with an austerity agenda will run City Hall and our children will lack the quality of education they need to succeed.
Low voter turnout usually benefits the wealthiest, who always vote. At the June provincial election, we had record low turnout, and that resulted in another Conservative majority. In 2018, turnout for Toronto’s municipal election was only 41 per cent, so we got a council that leaned to the right.
To see why this matters, take a look at the back page of our Summer 2022 Labour Action. It offers 24 examples of why we need city governments that have our backs, from public sector waste management, to libraries, to improving our public transit and road safety. Just this week, we learned the city wants libraries to bring in a zero-increase budget for 2023, despite library visits being up 691% over the previous year.
Our September 2022 statement outlined challenges we have faced at the municipal level, and it articulated our vision of building a liveable city. We can achieve that vision together IF WE ACT IN THIS ELECTION.
Between now and October 24th, go and vote! The positive side of low voter turnout is that YOUR vote counts for even more!
Please check out labourcouncil.ca/Municipal2022 for our labour-endorsed candidates, including contact information for each campaign. (A list appears in the Appendix to this statement.) Not all election races include an endorsed candidate. Your union may have some additional specific endorsements for you to think about. In York Region, endorsements are being made on a union-by- union basis.
Finally, elections are about more than just voting. Take some time to do the following in the days leading up to October 24th:
- Volunteer by dropping leaflets, erecting signs, knocking on doors, or making phone calls
- Organize others to step up and support labour-endorsed candidates
- Mobilize your comrades, members, family, and friends to vote
Let’s vote for what workers and our communities need!
