COVID-19
After 8 weeks of suspended programming, we have slowly started to get back to work on a reduced schedule at select waste-sorting sites.
Due to continued restrictions on large gatherings, many of our contracts continue to be on hold, and we have seen our average number of income opportunities for binners reduced from 47 per week to just 20.
Due to continued restrictions on large gatherings, many of our contracts continue to be on hold, and we have seen our average number of income opportunities for binners reduced from 47 per week to just 20.
Many binners are still out of work
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Because we work within the informal economy, most of our members receive an honorarium in compensation for their participation in our programming and are not eligible for government supports while they are out of work. We have implemented an 'income replacement' for both volunteer members, and staff members to help mitigate the financial stress of lost shifts. This means a $10 stipend for our members disseminated on Tuesday evenings during our weekly meeting, which has since been reformatted outdoors in order to abide by social distancing practices. |
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Lost shifts also means lost revenue from these social enterprise programs, and we are preparing for some major shifts in our revenue projections for this year. Right now, we are paying our members this income replacement out-of-pocket. As we settle in to this new normal, we need your help. Please consider donating today. |
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Minister Simpson presenting at a Binners' Meeting in 2018
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UPDATE: On March 27th, the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction announced a temporary $300 increase in welfare and disability assistance for the months of April, May, and June 2020.
We look to the Province for support for informal workers who are otherwise ineligible for emergency income supports. In March, we wrote a letter to Minister Shane Simpson's office requesting a temporary increase in welfare rates, which will aid in encouraging informal workers like binners and street vendors to physically distance from others and self-isolate should they have the means to without having to worry about supplementing their income. Read our letter here. |
