Bill 148, Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017
June 25, 2017|Posted in: Uncategorised
Bill 148, Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act (2017) is legislation with a direct effect on workers in Ontario – especially non-union workers whose only protection is the Employment Standards Act which Bill 148 will amend.
The legislation comes out of the recent The Changing Workplaces Review process that took place over the last 2 years.
The legislation is undergoing hearings conducted by the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs before it goes through a second reading in the legislature and then passed into law in the fall.
On June 27th, WWEC will hold a discussion on elements of the bill and how we can take part in the consultation in Windsor when the Standing Committee is in Windsor on July 14th.
If you are a non-union worker you need to be involved. Why? The legislation involves an increased minimum wage, vacation pay, scheduling, sick days, and more. Employer representatives will be attempting to limit the scope of the legislation; especially the increased minimum wage. The Standing Committee can recommend changes to the legislation and we need to make sure worker issues are heard.
STATEMENT FROM THE STANDING COMMITTEE:
The Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs will meet to consider Bill 148, An Act to amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and the Labour Relations Act, 1995 and to make related amendments to other Acts.
The Committee intends to hold public hearings in Thunder Bay on July 10, North Bay on July 11, Ottawa on July 12, Kingston on July 13, Windsor-Essex on July 14, London on July 17, Kitchener-Waterloo on July 18, Niagara on July 19, Hamilton on July 20, and Toronto on July 21, 2017.
Interested people who wish to be considered to make an oral presentation on Bill 148 during the week of July 10-14, 2017, should provide their contact name, mailing address, phone number, and email address to the Clerk of the Committee by 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 4, 2017.
Interested people who wish to be considered to make an oral presentation on Bill 148 during the week of July 17-21, 2017, should provide their contact name, mailing address, phone number, and email address to the Clerk of the Committee by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 10, 2017.
Those who do not wish to make an oral presentation but wish to comment on the Bill may send a written submission to the Clerk of the Committee at the address below by 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 21, 2017.
An electronic version of the Bill is available on the Legislative Assembly website at: www.ontla.on.ca.
Peter Milczyn, MPP, Chair
Eric Rennie, Clerk
Paul Chislett
Board president WWEC, member at large Social Justice Windsor District Labour Council. President, Global Resource Centre.