NDP MP Niki Ashton has heard some real heart-breaking stories as she's crossed the country asking millennials about precarious work, and Windsor is no exception.
The federal member for Churchill-Keewatinook Aski calls precarious work, or temporary, contract and part-time work without benefits, a national crisis. She's held consultations with Canadians under the age of 30 and their families across Canada and the last stop on her tour was in Windsor this week.
She says it's not just a problem that affects young Canadians. She says it's an issue that should concern all Canadians.
"In the case of one young woman, she said 'you know, I have absolutely no ability to plan to have kids because I can barely afford to pay the interest on my [student] debt'", says Ashton. "Hearing young people say they can't imagine having a family, that certainly doesn't bode well for the future of Canada as a whole."
Ashton, a millennial herself, says the unemployment rate for young Canadians is twice the national average at 13.6%, and of those working 39% say they are employed only temporarily.
Her party is writing a call to action for the Trudeau government, but she admits the issue is a complex one that will require a comprehensive fix.
"This is not something to be tinkered around the edges with," she says. "It requires action on a number of fronts."
She says Canada will have to consider legislation, the availability of social benefits, re-examining the labour code both federally and provincially, and negotiating trade deals that don't give away employment for young people.
