WEIGHING IN ON CHANGES
Proposed labour law gets mixed reviews
Area business representatives warned an all-party committee of legislators that a rapid rise in Ontario’s minimum wage, combined with the recent launch of a cap-and-trade program and high electricity costs, risks creating a perfect storm for the local economy.
Queen’s Park’s Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, which stopped in Windsor Friday, is gathering feedback on proposed changes to Ontario’s labour legislation.
“We’re not coming in saying we can’t do this,” said Stephen MacKenzie, CEO of the Windsor-Essex Economic Development Corporation. “We’re saying do it in way that’s balanced. You have to look at the entire picture.
“It needs to be phased in over a longer period, so business can adjust and remain competitive,” he said. “Some sectors, the pace with which they’d have to do this, the options are people work fewer hours — or fewer people.”
Ontario’s current minimum wage is $11.40. That rate would rise to $15 by Jan. 1, 2019, under the proposed changes.
MacKenzie said the agricultural, retail trade and some manufacturers are the most vulnerable sectors in the local economy.
“One grower told me, with the amount of people he needs per acre of greenhouse, his costs will rise $20,000 to $30,000 per acre with these changes,” MacKenzie said.
Other changes proposed to the Employment Standards and Labour Relations Acts include making it easier in some sectors to unionize, giving employees 10 emergency personal days a year with two of them paid, improved scheduling for workers, equal pay for part-timers if doing the same job as full-time employees and increasing vacation time from two to three weeks for employees with five years at the same firm.
Local labour groups expressed strong support for Bill 148 and offered a few tweaks.
Among their suggestions: more of the personal leave days should be paid days; eliminate sick note requirements; and allow card-certification of unions in all sectors, not just designated ones.
“Two paid days isn’t enough to keep sick workers at home,” said CUPE Local 543 treasurer Dave Petten, whose local represents municipal, health care and daycare workers.
“My membership services a vulnerable population and coming to work sick exacerbates the situation.”
Petten also argued in support of getting rid of sick notes or having the employer bear the cost of getting them if required.
Paul Chislett, president of the Windsor Workers’ Education Centre, wasn’t buying the plea for a phased-in approach.
Dealing with many hardship cases, often immigrant women and minorities, Chislett wondered how much longer people have to wait for a living wage.
“You’ll be putting more money in people’s pockets and they’ll spend it,” Chislett said.
“Business focuses on themselves and forgets they’re part of society. If you insert more into the system, everyone benefits.”
There was also support for creating paid time off for women who are victims of domestic violence, so they can escape from abusive home environments.
“It’s already costing businesses in lost productivity,” said Unifor Local 240 president Jodi Nesbitt, who proposed paid leave up to 10 days. “It would cost business less if women can get out of those situations.”
There was also a substantial push to eliminate lower minimum wage rates for students and liquor servers.
However, the hospitality industry is vehemently against such an increase, arguing that, with tips, servers make substantially more than minimum wage.
“Paying student workers differently, based on age, is discrimination,” said Tracie Edward, vicepresident of Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation District 9.
Local businessman and lawyer Robert Maich took a more global perspective in criticizing the government’s approach to the reforms.
“What concerns me most is I haven’t seen a careful analysis of the costing to the province,” said Maich, who owns The Golden Razor hair salon chain.
“Why proceed with an increased minimum wage if it doesn’t increase social equity? Why not look at a minimum income?
“We should share this cost broadly instead of looking to put it on 1.2 per cent of the population (business owners).”