The economic, social, and health impacts of COVID-19 have not been equal. Women, Black, Indigenous, and racialized people have been disproportionately affected.  These workers are also more likely to be low-wage workers and have limited access to  income supports. The federal government must ensure that these workers at the centre of Canada’s recovery.

One way to do this is through Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs).  In an op-ed in the Toronto Star, the Toronto Community Benefits Network‘s Rosemarie Powell makes the case for CBAs in the federal government’s planned infrastructure projects over the next decade, worth $187 billion. She argues “we have a responsibility, especially now, to ensure the dollars being spent are making the maximum impact possible. Commitment to infrastructure, employment equity, and improved social and environmental outcomes for diverse communities must go hand in hand.”

Read the whole op-ed here.  You can also check out the campaign for an Inclusive Recovery and endorse their letter to federal cabinet.