Step backward in labour laws

Ontario's 700,000 temporary workers – the poorest, most insecure members of the labour force were jubilant when Premier Dalton McGuinty included them in his poverty strategy.

Fifteen months ago, the McGuinty government beefed up provincial employment standards, guaranteeing temp workers the right to holiday, severance and termination pay. The government also pledged to spend $10 million hiring new enforcement officers to protect precarious workers.

Now the temporary workers feel as if their victory is being snatched away, as the government proposes to “modernize” the Employment Standards Act. Under new rules, workers would be required to confront their boss about unpaid wages, overtime or other breaches of the law before filing a claim with the labor ministry.

Read the full article on the Toronto Star

Bill 68: Workers forced to settle for less

Changes to Employment Standards under Bill 68 = More Barriers for Workers

Under Bill 68, Open for Business, the government is introducing changes to Employment Standards that are a huge step backward for workers. Instead of cracking down on bad bosses, Bill 68 will create more barriers for workers, while making it easier for employers to avoid paying what they are required to by law.

Mandatory self-enforcement of ESA rights :

• Bill 68 would require most workers to try and enforce their ESA rights with their boss before filing a claim.
  

Facilitated settlements:

• Bill 68 would give the power to the Ministry to settle claims for less than what workers are owed under the law.
  

Required information before a claim will be accepted:

• Bill 68 would require workers to provide information about their employer and arguments about their case before a claim will be accepted, without a commitment to provide support to workers filing claims.
  

Go the Workers' Action Centre to see how you can take Action.

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

$25,000 Judgement for Racist Comments

Here is a perfect example of an employee enforcing the rights afforded to every employee in Ontario under the Ontario Human Rights Code. According to an article in yesterday's Toronto Star, Cheryl Khan received a $25,000 judgement in her favour after her employer berated her with racist comments and fired her. She was also awarded $6,750 in lost wages.

For more information on human rights in the workplace, take a look at our pre-recorded webinar on the topic.

Human Rights in the Workplace Webinar

Our friends at CLEONet have graciously hosted our Human Rights in the Workplace Webinar on their site. You can view the Webinar in its entirety below, or view it on CLEONet.

See also:

• PowerPoint slides
  
• PowerPoint slides in PDF