Cole Burston/CANADIAN PRESS Ontario Premier Doug Ford is seen during a sitting of the legislature at Queen's Park in Toronto on Sept. 15, 2018.

Daniel "killed himself" juggling two jobs at both the local school board and a shoe store this summer, trying to save as much money as possible before classes started in September. The 18-year-old feared that Doug Ford's election as Ontario premier meant the minimum wage would go down. The previous Liberal government, booted from power in this summer, had increased the minimum wage to $14 an hour in January and planned another hike to $15 in 2019. "It's only $1 to the government. But it's a lot of money when it comes down to it," he told HuffPost Canada in an interview. The Grade 12 student is doing a fifth year of high school to graduate. He said he was too exhausted from working 30 hours a week at McDonald's last year to stay on top of studying, and ended up failing a class.

supplied Daniel is a Grade 12 student in Toronto. He works 30 hours a week to help his mom cover rent and bills.

"If I didn't get the 30 hours, it's the difference between being homeless on the street and having an apartment," said Daniel, who asked to be identified only by his first name. Daniel helps pays the rent and bills for himself and his mom, who can't work because she has severe arthritis. She's had multiple surgeries that haven't helped, Daniel said, and she's in so much pain that she can't walk down the stairs of their apartment building to go outside. "She can't provide for me the way she wants to," he said. "I have to take it upon myself." Daniel was looking forward to another pay raise. But Ford announced Tuesday that his government would do away with the increase. If I didn't get the 30 hours, it's the difference between being homeless on the street and having an apartment.Daniel, Grade 12 student "We're going to make sure we're competitive around the world," the premier said. "We're getting rid of Bill 148." The Liberal bill made significant changes to Ontario's labour laws, on top of boosting pay for low-wage workers. It guaranteed employees two paid days and eight unpaid days off for illness and emergencies every year, as well as paid leave for people experiencing domestic violence or sexual violence. A teacher at Daniel's school, George Harvey Collegiate, organized a protest of Ford's stance Thursday. Melanie Wilson, who teaches high school students at Bloor Collegiate Institute, is one of the other organizers. She said low wages and lack of sick days are a huge problem for educators. "I don't want to paint a stereotype and say all students who live below the poverty line are failing, because that's not true. But we see the patterns," Wilson told HuffPost Canada. "We see the barriers that low wages, precarious work and lack of sick days have on our students."

EMMA PALING/HUFFPOST CANADA Teachers Sarah Peek and Melanie Wilson were talking to commuters at Dufferin Station in Toronto about Ontario's minimum wage.