Advocacy & Campaigns

During this time, it's important that folks have the resources and the agency to advocate for others and themselves. Below are some campaigns and resources that you can utilize to promote everyone's rights.

 
 
Canadian Emergency Relief Benefit (CERB)

This is how to apply for CERB, for those that are looking for assistance with the application.

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit is a taxable benefit for those who have lost their income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides applicants with $2,000 a month for up to four months.

Check to see if you qualify for CERB

To qualify for CERB, you must be at least 15 years of age and residing in Canada. You must also not be working because of COVID-19 and/or be eligible for EI.

Your income in the past 12 months must amount to at least $5,000 from employment, self-employment, maternal and parental benefits, or a combination of the above. CERB is available to part-time and full-time workers.

You must not be earning any employment or self-employment income for at least 14 consecutive days in the initial four-week period.

Figure out when to apply

The CERB application is available on April 6, but to avoid overloading the system, the Canadian government is asking citizens to apply during staggered time slots.

The Government of Canada recommends you apply for CERB on the date corresponding to your birth month.

If You Were Born In Apply for CERB on
Jan, Feb or Mar Mondays
Apr, May or Jun Tuesdays
Jul, Aug or Sep Wednesdays
Oct, Nov or Dec Thursdays
Any Month Friday, Saturday and Sundays

Apply for CERB

In order to apply for CERB, you can call the toll free phone number: 1-800-959-2019 and follow the prompts.

Or via the online portal at canada.ca by clicking on the get the help you need button under the financial assistance heading.

After you apply

If you are eligible for CERB, you can expect $2,000 over a four-week period.

You will need to re-apply to CERB every 4 weeks (to a maximum of 16 weeks) if your situation continues.

You can expect the money within three business days if you're receiving your payment by direct deposit, and within 10 business days if you're receiving your payment by cheque.

Please note that these benefits are taxable and you will need to report any payments received on next year's tax filing.

Academic Accommodations

In order to request academic accomodations, use this template letter:

Dear insert prof’s name here,

As you are aware, the global pandemic is affecting everyone. There are many things on my mind, such as financial stress, mental health, my and my family's physical health, home life stress [add more if necessary]. These external factors make it impossible to dedicate as much time and energy to my studies as I would do under normal circumstances, reducing my ability to perform academically. Furthermore, the loss of adequate study space and other academic resources, as well as mental health resources that were available to me prior to the pandemic has left me with no resources to escape these stresses. With these concerns in mind, I am requesting [insert request here], in these challenging times, I hope that you will exercise empathy and understanding as we all try to go through the semester.

Given that many students are in similar situations to myself, as well as potentially facing other challenges, I encourage you to consider offering the accommodation as an option to the entire class. Many students do not feel comfortable advocating for the help they need. By opening up this option, you have the potential to help out students who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to request this help for themselves.

I appreciate the work you and the university are doing to support students through this critical and uncertain period, and I hope that you will seriously consider my request for accommodation during this time.

Sincerely, Insert your name

Employment Insurance (EI)

What is EI and recent changes

Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits provide up to 15 weeks of income replacement and is available to eligible claimants who are unable to work because of illness, injury or quarantine.

Service Canada has made the following changes to the EI program to support those affected by COVID-19:

  • The one-week waiting period for EI sickness benefits will be waived for new claimants who are quarantined so they can be paid for the first week of their claim

  • A new phone number to support enquiries related to waiving the EI sickness benefits waiting period:

    • Telephone: 1-833-381-2725 (toll-free)
    • Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-800-529-3742

  • People claiming EI sickness benefits due to quarantine will not have to provide a medical certificate

  • People who cannot complete their claim for EI sickness benefits due to quarantine may apply later and have their EI claim backdated to cover the period of delay

If you are looking to apply for the benefits, you can do it online here.

We understand these are scary times. If you have any further questions regarding benefits and pay, feel free to reach out to us and we will do what we can to assist you.

Source

Qualifying for Employment Insurance (EI) and other Emergency Supports

To be eligible for EI Sickness Benefit: You cannot or are unable to work for medical reasons Your weekly earning have been reduced by more than 40% You have worked for at least 600 hours in the last 52 weeks

If you are in need of temporary financial assistance and fit this criteria, you can apply online at canada.ca.

Under the Federal government’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, there are two other avenues to receive temporary financial assistance:

  • Emergency Care Benefit and
  • The Emergency Support Benefit

To be eligible for the Emergency Care Benefit:

  • You are sick or quarantined with COVID-19
  • You are losing work to care for family sick with COVID-19
  • You are losing work to care for children due to school closures.
  • You can apply with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) at the beginning of April

To be eligible for the Emergency Support Benefit:

  • You are not eligible for any other form of EI
  • You’ve lost your job or lost hours at your job because of COVID-19
  • You can also apply to these benefits with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) at the beginning of April. This will be provided either online or to be announced as a toll-free phone number
Fairness for International Students

Students are facing serious setbacks right now due to COVID-19. The announcement of CESB is a victory for students that is definitely a step towards ensuring that students can make it through the current crisis. International students, however, continue to be left out of the conversation and need immediate support now.

Our University, Provincial, and Federal Governments are leaving International Students with little to no support throughout this crisis. Just last year, the York University Board of Governors passed a motion to increase International Students’ tuition fees by 10% for two consecutive years.

While we are in the midst of a global pandemic, York University continues to implement the 10% increase, offloading a huge burden on international students in the midst of a global pandemic. International Students are seeing this increase in their tuition fees applied.

If you’re an international student, we want to hear from YOU:

Send us a photo and a written statement of 200-500 words, or a video*, explaining YOUR experiences as an International Student during the COVID19 Pandemic, and what support you need from your university administration, and the Canadian Federal Government.

Send your testimonial to president@yfs.ca or president.gcsu.aecg@gmail.com

These testimonials will be used within our social media campaign and in our report to the York University Senior Administration!

*please note that if you’d like to remain anonymous, you do not need to submit a photo, or a video- please indicate your wish to remain anonymous on your submission and we will redact your name.

If you’re a domestic student, here’s how you can help:

Call your MP to tell them to expand the CESB! To include international students.

For more about this campaign, visit the CFS website.

Tenant's Rights

Everyone has the right to housing.

Some of us may be experiencing financially precarious situations and thus, paying rent may be difficult. You cannot be evicted if:

  • Your children are noisy,
  • You ask for repairs,
  • You join a tenant association

As of March 19th, 2020, the Ontario Superior Court suspended all residential evictions. With the eviction system on pause they cannot bring you to the Toronto Landlord and Tenant Board.

This is a perfect opportunity to collectively practice your rights.

If you are concerned about an eviction or the property owner has threatened you with eviction, call the Tenant Hotline immediately at 416-921-9494.

If you are unable to pay rent due to the pandemic and need help communicating with your landlord, send your landlord a letter asking for rent forgiveness.

Sample Letter

Dear insert landlord name,

As I am sure you are aware, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented financial hardship to families, students, and working class people across the country. The Canadian government is supplying a modest GST rebate, Child Tax benefit, and Canadians are relying on Employment insurance (EI) benefits. To put this into perspective, EI benefits only cover 55% of lost income, which is capped at $573/week. Furthermore, self-employed workers, independent contractors, new hires, migrant workers, international students and those outside of the tax/transfer system are ineligible to receive these benefits.

In this time of crisis and in the absence of sufficient and accurate income support measures, I regret to inform you that I am unable to make my rental payments for ___. The money that would normally pay for my rent must not go towards groceries, medicine and other necessities. I do not have a significant amount of savings to assistent my financial needs during this crisis.

I understand the difficulties and frustrations that may arise from making this decision to freeze my rent, however I ask that you direct your frustration to our elected officials. Our government is calling on banks to provide mortgage deferrals, flexible payments arrangements and a 60-day grace period for property tax and utility bills. Our governments must provide all of us with meaningful measures so that folks are able to pay their rent, groceries and other basic needs.

My hope is that you understand the difficulties of being a student during an international pandemic and provide myself and other tenants for a rent freeze during this difficult time.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Insert tenant's name

Public Transit

Public transportation is an essential service and is relied upon by everyone in Toronto and the GTA.

According to the TTC, You can board a Wheel Trans vehicle or bus even if you do NOT have a Presto and Fare inspectors are not giving out tickets or issuing fines but have shifted to “customer service” and “education”.

But more work needs to be done! We call on the TTC, John Tory and City Council to…

1. Make a commitment to STOP collecting and ENFORCING fares across the transit system.

No one should be denied the right to mobility, especially during a crisis. In order to ensure that folks have access to food, medical supplies and other necessities, the TTC should stop collecting fares.

2. Ensure Enough Service for Social Distancing.

In order to ensure that riders and workers can meet the social distancing recommendations of public health officials, the TTC must redeploy buses and add more service as needed where routes are overcrowded. If service changes are made, the TTC must prioritize service areas that serve working class communities with fewer grocery stores and pharmacies within walking distance.

3. Protect ALL Transit Workers.

The TTC must take every precaution to protect the health and safety of all transit workers.

We support demands such as:

  • providing paid sick days for all workers on a permanent basis,
  • restoring a provision that is used to provide 10 days of job-protected emergency leave days for all workers and preventing employers from asking workers to provide doctors’ notes when they access paid sick days or job-protected emergency leave

Especially for the TTC transit workers that are contracted out, workers have fewer protections like paid sick days, putting every rider and worker at great risk. We need a fully funded public transit system.

Sign this letter to support these demands, send a message to Mayor John Tory, City Council and the TTC.