UFCW Canada supports “Make It Fair” campaign for labour law reform in Ontario

Toronto – May 9, 2016 – UFCW Canada and its Local Unions are actively supporting the Ontario Federation of Labour’s (OFL) “Make It Fair” campaign aimed at mobilizing union and community support for labour law reform in the province.

The Make It Fair campaign is centred on the province’s “Changing Workplaces Review,” which is examining changes to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act and Labour Relations Act. The campaign is calling for improvements to employment standards for all categories of workers, and is encouraging the provincial government to make it easier for workers to join a union.

In the view of UFCW Canada, the Ontario labour movement cannot advance unless we are truly committed to advancing workers’ rights and building labour solidarity throughout the province. Accordingly, a number of UFCW Canada members will be participating in up to 35 lobby efforts across Ontario with an eye towards enhancing workers’ rights through the Changing Workplaces Review.

It has been twenty years since labour laws were examined in Ontario, so this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve employment standards for every worker in the province by making it easier for employees to join a union and by updating our labour standards and regulations.

UFCW Canada is therefore proposing a series of improvements to the Labour Relations Act that would eliminate barriers to unionization and stop employer intimidation and harassment during organizing drives. Our recommendations are aimed at striking a fair and reasonable balance in today’s increasingly precarious labour market.

Our union is recommending the following reforms as part of the Changing Workplaces Review:

• Extending card check certification to all sectors in Ontario to make it easier for workers to join a union

• Adopting automatic access for first contract arbitration to restore balance to the labour relations process

• Expanding sectoral bargaining to the province’s retail and service sectors to stabilize wages and working conditions in these sectors

To find out more about Ontario’s Changing Workplaces Review, click here.