CAALL — Canadian Association of Administrators of Labour Legislation
CAALL Bulletin - November 2009
Table of Contents
- British Columbia – B.C. Pension Pitch 'Pan-Canadian'
- Manitoba – Increased Maximum Fines under Workplace Safety and Health Act Proposed
- Alberta – Women Fired for Refusing Transfer
- Saskatchewan - More than 75% of First Nation People over 40 Live with a Disability
- Ontario - 'Nortel Bill' would Protect Workers, Pensioners
- National - Aboriginals to Swear Oath to get Preference for Public Service Jobs
- National – New Aviation Regulations Called for to Deal with Pilot Fatigue
- British Columbia – Inquiry for Ambulance Service
- Ontario - Aboriginal Workers & Workers of Colour Conference
- Ontario - Bill to Address Violence in the Workplace
- Ontario - Temporary Foreign Workers to be better Protected
- Ontario - OC Transpo and the City of Ottawa to return to arbitration
- Quebec – The FTQ is pursuing its efforts
- National: B.C. Workers Compensation Board Reports Significant Increases in Deaths from Asbestos – Related Diseases; Rate Across Canada Increases
- National - When Workplace Tensions turn Violent
- Newfoundland and Labrador: Agreement with Unions
- Ontario - Firefighters to Receive Fire-Related Illness Coverage
- Ontario: Unions Show Solidarity with Six Nations relating to Land Claims
- Parliament/Legislatures/Assemblies
- Upcoming Events
British Columbia – B.C. Pension Pitch 'Pan-Canadian'
British Columbia is asking other provinces to join a western-led effort to help fatten the retirement income of many Canadians. The new pension option would allow residents without workplace pensions to supplement the benefits they can anticipate from the Canada Pension Plan.
Manitoba – Increased Maximum Fines under Workplace Safety and Health Act Proposed
Maximum fines for workplace safety violations would increase substantially under proposed legislative amendments. For more information, visit the government of Manitoba website.
Alberta – Women Fired for Refusing Transfer
Four Jasper women fired by CN in 2005 for refusing to accept temporary assignments to Vancouver have taken their case to the Canadian Human Rights Commission. They cited family reasons as the reason for their refusals.
Saskatchewan - More than 75% of First Nation People over 40 Live with a Disability
The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations wants to recognize the special needs facing First Nation individuals who live with disabilities. The majority of them end up having to move from their reserve to the city in order to access the appropriate programs and services. For more information, visit the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations website.
Ontario - 'Nortel Bill' would Protect Workers, Pensioners
A private member's bill proposed by a New Democrat MP could help protect employees and pensioners in the wake of a corporate collapse. For more information, visit the CBC website.
National - Aboriginals to Swear Oath to get Preference for Public Service Jobs
For the first time, aboriginal Canadians will have to swear a declaration and attest to their ancestry before receiving preference for a job in the federal public service.
National – New Aviation Regulations Called for to Deal with Pilot Fatigue
In the last 12 years, fatigue was investigated as a possible factor in nine aviation incidents in Canada, involving 23 deaths. Pilots claim the federal government isn't doing enough to guard against these mishaps.
Pilots for all the major carriers have negotiated contracts with tougher rules than what federal regulations allow, but they argue that regulations need to be stiffened to prevent further mishaps.
British Columbia – Inquiry for Ambulance Service
An Industrial Inquiry Commission has been appointed under the B.C. Labour Relations Code to examine the B.C. ambulance service. For more information, visit the government of British Columbia website.
Ontario - Aboriginal Workers & Workers of Colour Conference
Challenges and opportunities for renewal was the theme at the heart of the 2009 CAW Aboriginal Workers and Workers of Colour (AW&WOC) conference. For more information, visit the Canadian Auto Workers website.
Ontario - Bill to Address Violence in the Workplace
Bill 168 introduces enhanced protections against workplace violence, new measures to address workplace harassment and a pioneering measure to include violence and harassment that occurs as a result of domestic violence.
Ontario - Temporary Foreign Workers to be better Protected
The federal government's hidden workforce will be better protected with changes to Ontario's Employment Standards Act. For the first time, temporary workers will be entitled to severance and termination pay, and the agencies that hire them will be forbidden from charging some fees.
Ontario - OC Transpo and the City of Ottawa to return to arbitration
Barring a last-minute agreement, the City of Ottawa and the OC Transpo union will have to return to arbitration to settle the main issue at the root of last winter’s public transit strike.
Quebec – The FTQ is pursuing its efforts
People with disabilities have a place in the workplace, so the FTQ is pursuing its efforts to raise awareness and promote their retention and integration in unionized workplaces through the "Travaillons ensemble" project.
National: B.C. Workers Compensation Board Reports Significant Increases in Deaths from Asbestos – Related Diseases; Rate Across Canada Increases
In B.C., deaths from asbestos-related diseases have increased as much as 69 per cent between 2002 and this year, according to the provincial workers' compensation board.
An aggressive cancer linked to asbestos is killing more Canadians than ever before. Experts warn that the upward trend will continue for years.
National - When Workplace Tensions turn Violent
Statistics Canada's 2007 report on criminal victimization in the workplace says nearly one-fifth of all violent incidents in this country, including physical assaults, sexual assaults and robberies, happened in the victim's workplace.
Newfoundland and Labrador: Agreement with Unions
The Provincial Government and the major public sector unions in the province have signed a Good Neighbour Agreement that will assist in addressing human resources issues in the event of a major disruption or emergent situation related to the current H1N1 pandemic. For more information, visit the government of Newfoundland and Labrador website.
Ontario - Firefighters to Receive Fire-Related Illness Coverage
Ontario is making it easier for the province's volunteer and part-time firefighters and fire investigators, who suffer fire-related illnesses, to qualify for benefits under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act. For more information, visit the government of Ontario website.
Ontario: Unions Show Solidarity with Six Nations relating to Land Claims
Labour union activists marched in solidarity with representatives of the Six Nations community and joined in the call on the federal, provincial and Brantford governments to negotiate unresolved land claims on the Haldimand Tract. For more information, visit the Canadian Auto Workers website.
Parliament/Legislatures/Assemblies
| Adjournment date | Resumption date | |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | November 26, 2009 | |
| British Columbia | February 9, 2010 | |
| House of Commons | December 16, 2009 | March 3, 2010 |
| Manitoba | December 10, 2009 | |
| New Brunswick | ||
| Newfoundland-Labrador | ||
| Northwest Territories | January 27, 2010 | |
| Nova Scotia | November 5, 2009 | |
| Nunavut | March 4, 2010 | |
| Ontario | ||
| Prince Edward Island | December 8, 2009 | |
| Québec | ||
| Saskatchewan | March 8, 2010 | |
| Yukon | December 17, 2009 |
Upcoming Events
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Mastering Aboriginal Inclusion Workshop, Aboriginal Human Resource Council | Toronto, Ontario Regina, Saskatchewan Halifax, Nova Scotia |
January 13-14, 2010 February 1-18, 2010 March 30-31, 2010 |
| Ministers of Labour meeting | TBA | February 20-21, 2010 |
| Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) Forum III | Gatineau, Quebec | March 8-9, 2010 |
| Health & Safety Canada 2010 Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA) Conference and Trade Show | Toronto, Ontario | May 3-5, 2010 |
| International Forum on Disability Management | Los Angeles, California | September 13-16, 2010 |
| 18th Annual National Workers' Compensation and Disability Conference & Expo | Chicago, Illinois | November 18-20, 2010 |