The document discusses Ontario's Bill 148 workplace reforms and their impact on businesses. It provides background on the author and outlines changes under Bill 148 like increased minimum wage and paid emergency leave. Business groups are cited arguing the reforms hurt job growth and competitiveness by increasing costs too quickly. Ontario's economy and competitiveness are also discussed in relation to high taxes, hydro rates, and supportive policies for key industries. Repealing Bill 148 is presented as necessary to improve the business environment.

1. Fair Work Place
Policy Review –
Ontario
PAUL YOUNG CPA, CGA
OCTOBER 3, 2018

2. Paul Young - Bio
• CPA, CGA
• Financial Solutions
• SME – Business Process Changes
• SME – Risk Management
• SME – Close, Consolidate and Reporting
• SME – Public Policy
• SME – Financial Solutions
• SME – Supply Chain Management
• Academia – Advance Accounting, Public
Finance and Advanced Management
Systems
Contact information:
Paul_Young_CGA@Hotmail.com

3. Agenda
 What was B148
 Key Policy Changes
 Business issues with Bill 148
 Ontario Employment – YTD August 2018 and GDP
 Ontario Competitiveness
 Blogs – Labor Laws
 Job Grant Program

4. B148 – Ontario - Ontario’s new “Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act” (Bill 148, 2017) is a
major overhaul of the rules governing your workplace. (Effective Date – January 1,
2019
Source - https://www.cfib-fcei.ca/en/tools-resources/what-bill-148-fair-workplaces-better-jobs-act-means-
your-business
Policy Change Details
Minimum wage General $15.00, Servers $13.05 and Students $14.10 (under 18)
Paid Emergency Leave Up to 10 days
Vacation Pay Five years or more are entitled to 3 weeks. Vacation Pay rises to 6%
Equal Pay for Equal Work As of April 1, 2018, you cannot pay full-time and non-full-time (part-time, contract,
casual, seasonal, temporary) employees a different rate of pay for performing
“substantially the same kind of work”.
Substitute Holiday Pay You must provide your employees with written notice of substitute public holidays.
The notice must include the holiday on which the employee will work, the date of
the day being substituted for the holiday, and the date on which the notice is
provided to the employee.
Card based – unionization If you are in the temporary help agency, building services, or home care and
community services industries, unionization rules are changing for your business.
Under the Act, if more than 55 per cent of your employees sign union cards, your
business may be unionized without a secret ballot vote.
Union access to information If 20 per cent of your employees sign up to unionize, the union may request and
receive access to the contact information of all of your employees through the
Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB). If directed by the OLRB, you must hand
over the information, which includes names, phone numbers, and email
addresses. This applies to businesses in all sectors.

5. Business comments on Bill 148
 “(April 15/18): A study examining the impact of Ontario’s Bill 148 and rise in the minimum wage on
Northern Ontario businesses conducted by Lakehead University estimates up to 1,150 local jobs could be
lost because small businesses cannot afford the cost increases. The worst news included in the study was
that Quick Service Restaurants and their employees would be impacted most. The study also found that
owners and operators are reducing employee shifts and hours and increasing prices and passing them on
to consumers to try and offset the increased labour costs. ” https://www.restaurantscanada.org/ontarios-
bill-148-continues-impact-small-businesses/
 (Ontario Chamber Commerce –” Toronto, August 30, 2018) – Today, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
(OCC) is calling on the Government of Ontario to immediately repeal the drastic labour reforms introduced
by Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces Better Jobs Act, 2017. Recent testimonials from the Ontario business
community showcase a common theme – the labour reforms established by the previous government were
too much, too fast and have significantly limited their ability to maintain or grow the workforce they need
to be competitive. ” http://www.occ.ca/mediareleases/occ-calls-for-bill-148-repeal/

6. Ontario Employment – YTD August 2018
Source – Stats Canada
• 2003-2018 loss goods producing jobs due bad govt policies -
https://business.financialpost.com/opinion/75000-manufacturing-
jobs-lost-thats-the-price-of-ontarios-electricity-disaster
• Ontario incomes barely grew for the past decades -
https://business.financialpost.com/news/economy/canadian-
median-income-growth-sluggish-over-past-10-years-statscan-
figures-show

7. Ontario Competitiveness
• Labour laws – Liberals and NDP both supported the overhaul of the labour laws including minimum wage. The problem was the changes were
too fast and too soon - https://www.cfib-fcei.ca/en/tools-resources/what-bill-148-fair-workplaces-better-jobs-act-means-your-business “We
believe the government needs to go much further to offset the impact of the minimum wage increases and labour changes on your business.
Leading up to next year’s budget, we will push government to provide additional relief measures for small businesses”
• Hydro Rates - http://business.financialpost.com/opinion/75000-manufacturing-jobs-lost-thats-the-price-of-ontarios-electricity-disaster
(Ontario had lowest rates in the 1990s. Liberals came to power with their FIT policies and make things worse in terms costs -
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2015/12/02/ontario-consumers-likely-paying-billions-extra-for-hydro-one-decisions-auditor-
general.html
• Carbon Tax – Wynne and Horwath support Carbon Taxation - https://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/environment-and-safety/carbon-
price-cant-cost-manufacturers-competitiveness-cme-says-198570/ or
• USA is moving to less taxation and less regulation - https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/06/manufacturing-industry-leads-job-gains-in-march-
continuing-comeback-under-trump.html
• Liberals and NDP support small business tax rules changes – Passive Income -
https://www.pwc.com/ca/en/services/tax/budgets/2018/ontario.html
• Horwath wants to hike taxation for the top 1% and Corporations. Top 1% already pay over 47% of their income in taxes -
https://www.taxtips.ca/taxrates/on.htm
• Regulatory processes / natural resources - http://www.thesudburystar.com/2018/02/24/ontarios-mining-rankings-improve-dramatically - NDP
does not believe in natural resource development - https://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/the-ndp-knows-what-it-stands-for-now-
begins-the-work-of-policymaking/ http://business.financialpost.com/transportation/im-worried-about-whats-going-on-in-canada-magnas-
ceo-concerned-about-competitiveness

8. Blog – Labour
Laws
@JohnFraserOS since you won't deal with
facts then I will. Your B148 which became
law on Nov 22, 2017 has done nothing to
support job growth.
https://business.financialpost.com/news/e
conomy/premier-doug-ford-vows-to-
scrap-key-liberal-labour-reform-
legislation
@fordnation @ontarioisproud
@VictorFedeli @LaurieScottPC
 More deceit from either Libs or their
union support
 Ford is right to shelve the C148 law as
it did nothing to support employment
but was used to buy votes.

9. Blog #2 –
Labour Laws
 @Swiftie01 typical lies from
@OFLabour that thinks more taxation
will create private sector business.
https://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungc
ga/issues-facing-the-ontario-
economy-20182905
 @UniforTheUnion is just as bad with
their $15 minimum wage issue. Yet
Magna Automotive said Ontario’s is
too costly -
http://canada.autonews.com/article/20
180226/CANADA/180229853/magna-
ceo-blasts-ontario-labour-laws-
electricity-rates

10. Job Grant Program
 https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/monday-volunteer-grant-paid-employment-1.5637844
@FilomenaTassi did you even check to see if this job program met the labor standards? The
labor code is managed by the provinces so why did you not consult the various provinces
about your job grant program?
Labor laws
 Volunteers http://lawofwork.ca/are-volunteers-the-new-unpaid-interns-how-ontarios-
employment-standards-act-treats-volunteer-misclassification/
 Volunteers - https://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/standards/doc,volunteers,factsheet.html

11. Summary
 Ontario needs to be more competitive in terms taxes,
regulations and hydro rates
 Liberals only pushed the labour reforms for votes. B148 was
never properly reviewed before it was passed into law -
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2018/08/30/busi
ness-group-calls-for-full-repeal-of-ontarios-new-workplace-
protections.html or https://www.hrreporter.com/workplace-
law/37833-ontario-chamber-urges-government-to-
immediately-repeal-bill-148/
 Next government will need to focus on areas like forestry,
food, transportation, high technology as supporting the
goods producing sector