As young people are organizing at schools and hitting the streets to protest rising tuition fees, what are young workers doing in their fight against the 1%? The unfortunate truth is: not enough. Young workers are among the most exploited in the country. We are offered very little hope – other than the ‘promise’ that if we work hard, we might be lucky enough to get a better deal. Now is the time for young workers to lead the charge in building unions and showing the corporate bosses that we will no longer be pushed around. That’s what I’m doing, and I invite you to join the effort.
Unionization is no simple task, as management has most of the cards in its favour. Many young workers read the statistics and see only a bleak future. In Ontario, the youth (16-24 years old) unemployment rate is officially a staggering 17 per cent. Since the Great Recession is far from over, the ability to find employment remains very difficult. However, assuming one is lucky enough to find employment, one faces a barrage of propaganda: “You don’t realize how lucky you are to get work, and if you mess up you can easily be replaced. Hundreds of other applicants are waiting for a job.”
The fun does not stop there. In additional to facing the usual turmoil at work, such as high levels of stress, caused by rude customers or being constantly watched by management, young workers quickly come to the dark realization that we do not get paid an even remotely liveable wage. Employees are expected to work two or three jobs in order to afford basic necessities such as rent, food, hydro, etc. Additionally, it is important to note that if young workers need to work two or three jobs it is safe to assume that post-secondary education will be postponed or just tossed out the window.
Now is the time for young workers to unite and demand a bigger fair share of the profits our work creates. For if it was not for those of us who are the work force, not a single product or service would be made, put on the shelf, or sold. We are the backbone of production, but we need to unite to become the brain of production as well. Young workers need to find the courage to overcome the fear tactics thrown at us, and advance change that will improve our desperate situation. We should fight to increase our wages and no longer allow our age to be used as an excuse to pay us less. We should get a decent amount of work hours, instead of the scraps management doesn’t want to assign itself. We must revolutionize our workplace to reflect the goals that we, as a vital part of the working class advance. That’s what the Youth for Socialist Action stands for. We are union organizers, fighters against every kind of discrimination, and revolutionary movement builders. Find out how you can be part of this exciting work. Join the YSA!
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