Monday, June 19, 2023

Challenges and Opportunities

CLAC’s priorities in Ontario centre on the continued efforts to improve wages, working conditions, and protections for healthcare members and to capitalize on growing work opportunities for construction members

Guide Magazine

This spring, we were incredibly excited and grateful to gather again for the Ontario Stewards Conference—the first time since 2019. Over 200 stewards gathered in Niagara Falls for an amazing two days of education, frivolity, and fun. This year’s event theme was Connection at Work, and it provided an opportunity to reflect on the various ways in which we experience workplace community and also to consider how our daily work connects to our family, government, and broader communities.

Healthcare

A delegation of 22 front-line healthcare members and staff visited the Ontario legislature on March 6. They were recognized during question period by MPPs Jess Dixon and Michael Harris. We met with 16 MPPs and their staff during which members were able to tell their stories about the challenges they face. The work of advocating for improved funding, better working conditions, and proper workplace protections is slow going, but we left with some new allies.

To influence the government’s priorities, CLAC again participated in Ontario’s prebudget consultation with a written submission, which this year included seven distinct priority items. While our submission included recommendations for construction and volunteer firefighter members, the primary focus was on the challenges members face in the healthcare sector: funding for homecare workers, predictable and enhanced wage funding for long term care so wages aren’t perennially outpaced by inflation, and the extension of WSIB (workers compensation) to retirement home workers, who presently are not covered.

This spring, the CLAC Legal Team prepared a major grievance arbitration hearing on mandatory vaccination policies for healthcare workers. This will be our second attempt at litigating for a just outcome for members who have been fired for failure to be vaccinated. It’s our hope that the expert testimony and the waning impact of the virus will result in a fair outcome for the hundreds who’ve been negatively affected by mandatory vaccination policies.

Construction

To capitalize on growing work opportunities in northern Ontario, mostly due to mining activity, we continue to develop our northern Ontario and Ring of Fire engagement strategy. At present, we are evaluating proposals from different firms that can help increase our exposure to, and network with, project proponents. We’re also working at building connections with local Indigenous communities where this work is taking place. They stand to benefit from employment and training opportunities connected to the work.

This year, we have seen more sophisticated and coordinated raiding activity from competitor unions than typical. Wage increases in the construction sector are at historic highs, with many agreements including increases in the 15 to 18 percent range over three years.

Over the last year, the CLAC Training and Jobs Teams have been running CLAC’s Bootcamp program. This program is funded by the province and serves as a pathway to individuals looking to start a career in construction. With two weeks of orientation and safety training, students are then placed for eight weeks of employment that help launch their careers. In February, the team was awarded additional funding to run the program for another year.

Challenges and Opportunities

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