Ford plans to cancel Liberals’ labour reforms
TORONTO — Two paid sick days are too much.
That was the message Tuesday from Premier Doug Ford, who is poised to dismantle the previous Liberal government’s labour reforms that increased sick-day benefits and paid vacation, and were set to raise the minimum wage from $14 an hour to $15 on Jan. 1.
“We’re getting rid of Bill 148,” Ford thundered in the legislature after being questioned by Liberal MPP Michael Coteau.
Ford added that “60,000 people lost their jobs under Bill 148,” an apparent reference to part-time positions that have been cut.
“When I crisscrossed this province, I talked to the people who earn minimum wage, the ones who even were able to keep their job. I’d go into a little Home Hardware. Rather than having seven employees, they’d cut three employees because of Bill 148,” he said.
“We’re going to create more jobs so we can hire more people, unlike the Liberals, who destroyed this province.”
Later Tuesday, Ford said alarm over his remarks shouldn’t come as “any surprise” given his comments on the reforms during the June election campaign, and he promised more details “over the next few weeks.”
“Bottom line, it’s an absolute job killer.”
On a year-over-year basis, employment has increased by 1.1 per cent, or 79,000 jobs, in Ontario, Statistics Canada says. Total hours worked across the province also increased since much of Bill 148 took effect in January.
To repeal the legislation, the government will need to introduce a replacement bill.
Deena Ladd of the Torontobased Workers’ Action Centre said she was “waiting for more than just a comment in question period to actually take the government seriously at this point.”
“I think everyone is really kind of appalled that they would consider getting rid of basic labour legislation,” she said.
The Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, or Bill 148, enacted two paid, job-protected emergency leave days for all workers, increased holiday entitlement, mandated equal pay for casual and part-time workers doing the same job as full-time employees, enshrined improved scheduling protections and boosted protections for temp agency workers.
The legislation represents the most sweeping change to the province’s labour laws in decades, and was implemented after two years of research and public consultation conducted by two independent labour experts.
About one-third of Ontario’s workforce are vulnerable workers in precarious employment, according to the final 400-page report.
“Some 1.6 million Ontarians do not have sick days,” Coteau said. “In the legislation, it guarantees two days to Ontarians. This is about decency for employees.”