Labour unions are calling on the Ford government to do a better job protecting the rights of front-line workers such as hospital and grocery store staff.
Michael Hurley is the President of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, and says during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when most businesses were completely shut down, the State of Emergency enabled the government to override basic workers’ rights, which they claim is still happening. The unions say workers, mainly women, lose their right to keep their shift schedule, to work in the same community, also worry about losing their job without notice, or have parental leaves cancelled.
Many workers put up with this, but the union says now that the government has not continued the State of Emergency, it is time to ensure those rights are honoured. However, there is concern about recently passed legislation known as Bill 195, which Canadian Union of Public Employees, Ontario President Fred Hahn, says will allow the government to keep overriding those rights. He says that is an extraordinary and undemocratic abuse of power.
As for speaking to the government about this, Hurley says there have been empty promises to meet, which he notes is typical.
To bring this to better awareness, rallies will be held across the province for the next few weeks at Conservative MPP offices, while a rally is scheduled for Thunder Bay on September 1st.
