Labour

On July 26, Ontario Labour Minister Chris Stockwell announced that the Employment Standards Act will be reviewed. The Ontario government has produced a consultation paper, Time For Change: Ontario's Employment Standards Legislation, which outlines drastic changes to the legislation.

SAY GOODBYE TO THE 8 HOUR DAY AND 40 HOUR WORK WEEK A new, increased maximum of 60 hours per week with the overtime averaged over a three week span. This could allow employers to avoid paying overtime at all.

ELIMINATING PUBLIC HOLIDAYSPaid public holidays would be essentially eliminated for workers. Employers would also be able to insist that employees take their two week annual vaction a few days at a time.

ABOLISHING THE INDUSTRIAL STANDARDS ACT The Ontario government is proposing that the Industrial Standards Act be abolished. Sweatshop workers would have no protection at all.

UNDERMINING UNION ORGANIZING -- BEFORE AND AFTER The proposed changes would make it harder for unions to organize and easier for the employers to intervene in organizing drives. The government has even gone so far as to threaten the Rand Formula: the automatic collection of union dues.

ATTACKING ONTARIO'S TEACHERS -- AGAIN Since 1995, the Ontario government has cut $1.2 billion from education funding and enacted punitive legislation aimed at teachers. Read about it on our Bill 81 and Bill 74 page.