OneCity's Labour Day Manifesto: An Action Plan for Vancouver’s Working Class

VANCOUVER, B.C., on the Territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh – OneCity Vancouver mayoral candidate William Azaroff today laid out the party's full agenda for working people: new standards to make sure public money delivers good jobs, a collaborative partnership table to elevate the expertise and brilliance of the workers who build our city every day, and a commitment to recertify Vancouver as a Living Wage Employer.

OneCity was founded in 2014 by workers. In 2022, OneCity became the only party to have its entire slate endorsed by the VDLC, and in 2026 we were lucky enough to earn it again – from Mayor to Council, School, and Park Boards.

"Every Labour Day, I think of my mom who worked as a nurse for 31 years. She was able to raise me and my sister in Vancouver on her own because of the fair wages and strong job protections she won with her union,” said William Azaroff, OneCity Mayoral Candidate. “For too long, our city government hasn’t invested in workers like my mom. But we can build a Vancouver where working families walk past City Hall, look up, and know the city has their back.” 

OneCity’s Five Commitments to Working Families:

A Labour Partnership Table. Too often, the people who experience unsafe conditions, understaffing, and service failures are only taken seriously after those problems become crises. OneCity will establish a Labour Partnership Table, bringing Council, senior staff, and the unions representing City workers together every quarter to solve problems before they reach crisis and centre the expertise of the workers who power the frontline services Vancouverites depend on.

Fix How the City Buys. Vancouver awards hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts every year. OneCity's Good Jobs Procurement Standard, announced earlier this campaign as part of the Local Economy Action Plan (LEAP), rewards companies that create good jobs, strong safety standards, and a training program for young people.

Fix How the City Builds. OneCity will extend that same strong jobs standard to the city's capital projects like community centres, libraries, housing, and infrastructure so we invest in workers with apprenticeships, local hiring, and training pathways as they build Vancouver.   

Creating First Good Jobs for Vancouverites. Youth unemployment in Canada is at 14.3%, and Vancouver is among the most expensive cities to start a career. OneCity will launch Youth Jobs Vancouver, creating up to 375 youth-only positions a year at a living wage and give young people a chance to have a first good job that will give them the foundation for dignified future work.

Bring Back the Living Wage. A worker paid the City's current Fair Wage of $25.04 an hour earns $2.81 less than the real 2025 Metro Vancouver living wage of $27.85, cheating them out of $5,100 a year for a full-time worker. William Azaroff and OneCity will recertify Vancouver as a Living Wage Employer and invest in the cleaners, security guards, and maintenance staff who keep our city running. 

Every Vancouverite deserves a voice, a place, and a future in this city. That means City Hall, School Board, and Park Board must do what each board can to deliver a dignified life, with fair wages, safe working conditions, and real opportunities for our neighbours.

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Media Contact:
Giovanna Orecchio, Campaign Director
media@onecityvancouver.ca