Few aware of labour rights in Toronto’s Chinatown

Exploitation typical in other immigrant communities, labour activists say.
Read the Full Article on the Toronto Star

Human Rights Tribunal awards $20,000 to employee fired after cancer diagnosis

Still reeling from the news that she had breast cancer, Elsa Torrejon was shocked when her employer told her not to bother coming back to work. Yesterday the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario ordered the Weston Property Management Corporation to pay Ms. Torrejon over $20,000 in general damages and lost wages. The Tribunal also ordered the company to learn about Ontario's Human Rights Code and report back to the Tribunal when the training has been completed.

Vice Chair Naomi Overend of the Human Rights Tribunal found that Weston "acted upon this mistaken belief that it could terminate the employment of the applicant, who was going to require time off work for surgery and treatment, without regard to whether or not her disability-related absence could be accommodated."

To review the full case please visit CanLII Elsa Torrejon v. 1147335 Ontario Inc. O/A Weston Property Management

WSIB Fixing Injured Workers Re-training Program

The new program, re-branded the Work Re-integration Program and set to begin by end of year, will put WSIB managers back in charge of injured workers’ rehabilitation, give workers more say in their re-training plans, make greater use of Ontario’s public education system for the re-training, and aim to give workers “marketable skills and valid credentials.”

Read the Article in the Toronto Star