The Sudbury and District Labour Council held its annual Labour Day celebration at the Morel Family Foundation Park on Second Avenue. The festivities featured a solidarity march, games, entertainment, food vendors and information booths. The day began with an inclusive sensory-friendly pre-event. Below, Jessica Montgomery, president of the Sudbury and District Labour Council, takes time to answer 10 questions from The Star related to labour issues.
Q: What does the labour council do?
A: We have a long and proud history of fighting for the rights of all working people. We hold monthly meetings with delegates from the various unions/locals who are affiliated with us. We also provide a link to community organizations and run campaigns, such as Tampon Tuesday, to support agencies in Sudbury. Workers in unions are an important part of the local community and economy because that’s where they spend their paycheques.
Q: Why is there still a need, in 2022, to advocate for workers?
A: Fighting for workers rights today is as important, if not more so, than it’s ever been. Workers took a hard hit during the pandemic, especially front-line workers. Inflation is rising faster than wages. Occupational health and safety protections took second place or became almost non-existent in workplaces over the last couple of years. Violence and harassment are increasing in many workplaces, especially those in the public sector, including health care and education. We work hard to support those workers fighting for a living wage, and healthier and safer workplaces.
Q: Can you talk about the current labour landscape in Northern Ontario?
A: Bill 124 has had a great impact on those in Northern Ontario. Food prices are going up, and more so for those in northern Ontario because of the further distances to transport. Regarding long-term care, the government is passing a bill that may force seniors to go to a facility hundreds of kilometres away from their homes and families.
Q: How is it changing?
A: We’re transitioning from resource extraction jobs to more service-based jobs, most of which only pay minimum wage.
Q: Which sectors/fields will be the most popular moving forward? For those contemplating post-secondary education, where do you advise they put their focus?
A: – Tech jobs that build and feed the green economy.
– Programs that support the above-mentioned industries.
– Get Laurentian University to reinstate its labour studies program.
Q: Your bio indicates you specialize in occupational stress injuries and mental health. Can you talk about the role mental wellness plays in the professional environment?
A: Mental health in the workplace is a prevalent topic of discussion. Employers supporting their employees’ mental health has shifted from ‘doing the nice thing’ to a requirement under the Ontario Human Rights Code and The Duty to Accommodate. Creating workplace wellness programs is not only being proactive but it also creates a thriving and productive environment. Mental health, along with our physical health, is an essential component to an individual’s overall health. Workplace wellness needs to be a priority in all workplaces, whether they are unionized or not. We know that when a workplace is unsafe, stressful or unhealthy that both the employer and employee are impacted, and that everyone benefits from healthy workplace.
Q: How should employers respond to the need to promote mental health and wellness at work?
A: There is a legislated requirement for employers to protect the mental and physical health of their employees. The best way to achieve a healthy and safe workplace is to create and implement a comprehensive workplace health and safety program that includes and promotes mental health and wellness. Employers can also offer employee assistance programs. Employers can offer educational components about recognizing the signs and symptoms of stress and depression in themselves and team members.
Q: What did COVID teach us about the nature of work? What are the major take-aways from the pandemic?
A: Working from home – you can be just as, or even more, productive working at home. Because people aren’t travelling, there’s a gentler impact on the environment, and with workers commuting less, they are able to spend more quality time at home rather than commuting.
The government continues to put the needs of the corporate class ahead of those of workers Had employers followed the SARS recommendations, there wouldn’t have been anywhere near as many outbreaks and deaths as we’ve experienced.
Q: What are the most pressing issues that still need to be addressed in Canada?
A: Jobs, economy and the environment.
– Better pay and benefits.
– Workplace health and safety.
– Trade and international affairs.
– Retirement security.
– Social justice and democracy.
– Gender equality.
– Ending discrimination.
Q: Why is it important to celebrate Labour Day?
A: Labour Day is a day to celebrate the accomplishments of the labour movement and the benefits of having a union at work. Along with unionized workers, we invite all members of the community, including community advocacy groups, to join in our event. It gives all an opportunity to bring their families to a fun-filled day while the weather is still nice and before children go back to school.
OTTAWA – The federal government is expected to boost the minimum hourly wage that must be paid to temporary foreign workers in the high-wage stream as a way to encourage employers to hire more Canadian staff.
Under the current program’s high-wage labour market impact assessment (LMIA) stream, an employer must pay at least the median income in their province to qualify for a permit. A government official, who The Canadian Press is not naming because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the change, said Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault will announce Tuesday that the threshold will increase to 20 per cent above the provincial median hourly wage.
The change is scheduled to come into force on Nov. 8.
As with previous changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker program, the government’s goal is to encourage employers to hire more Canadian workers. The Liberal government has faced criticism for increasing the number of temporary residents allowed into Canada, which many have linked to housing shortages and a higher cost of living.
The program has also come under fire for allegations of mistreatment of workers.
A LMIA is required for an employer to hire a temporary foreign worker, and is used to demonstrate there aren’t enough Canadian workers to fill the positions they are filling.
In Ontario, the median hourly wage is $28.39 for the high-wage bracket, so once the change takes effect an employer will need to pay at least $34.07 per hour.
The government official estimates this change will affect up to 34,000 workers under the LMIA high-wage stream. Existing work permits will not be affected, but the official said the planned change will affect their renewals.
According to public data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 183,820 temporary foreign worker permits became effective in 2023. That was up from 98,025 in 2019 — an 88 per cent increase.
The upcoming change is the latest in a series of moves to tighten eligibility rules in order to limit temporary residents, including international students and foreign workers. Those changes include imposing caps on the percentage of low-wage foreign workers in some sectors and ending permits in metropolitan areas with high unemployment rates.
Temporary foreign workers in the agriculture sector are not affected by past rule changes.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
— With files from Nojoud Al Mallees
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
OTTAWA – The parliamentary budget officer says the federal government likely failed to keep its deficit below its promised $40 billion cap in the last fiscal year.
However the PBO also projects in its latest economic and fiscal outlook today that weak economic growth this year will begin to rebound in 2025.
The budget watchdog estimates in its report that the federal government posted a $46.8 billion deficit for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland pledged a year ago to keep the deficit capped at $40 billion and in her spring budget said the deficit for 2023-24 stayed in line with that promise.
The final tally of the last year’s deficit will be confirmed when the government publishes its annual public accounts report this fall.
The PBO says economic growth will remain tepid this year but will rebound in 2025 as the Bank of Canada’s interest rate cuts stimulate spending and business investment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says the level of food insecurity increased in 2022 as inflation hit peak levels.
In a report using data from the Canadian community health survey, the agency says 15.6 per cent of households experienced some level of food insecurity in 2022 after being relatively stable from 2017 to 2021.
The reading was up from 9.6 per cent in 2017 and 11.6 per cent in 2018.
Statistics Canada says the prevalence of household food insecurity was slightly lower and stable during the pandemic years as it fell to 8.5 per cent in the fall of 2020 and 9.1 per cent in 2021.
In addition to an increase in the prevalence of food insecurity in 2022, the agency says there was an increase in the severity as more households reported moderate or severe food insecurity.
It also noted an increase in the number of Canadians living in moderately or severely food insecure households was also seen in the Canadian income survey data collected in the first half of 2023.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct 16, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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