Minimum wage is going up to $15 an hour in Ontario.

Premier Kathleen Wynne with the announcement this morning (Tuesday).

“It’ll rise to $14 this New Years Day, 2018 and to $15 on January 1st, 2019,” she says.

Wynne says it will further increase with inflation after that.

She also announced the province is ensuring equal pay for part-time workers and increasing the minimum vacation entitlement as part of a major labour overhaul.

North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce President Peter Chirico says they’re concerned about the potential impact.

“If people have to pay more for employees, there’s either one thing that they’re going to do, not hire them or they’re going to have to increase prices,” he says.

Chirico says that’s why they asked for an economic impact analysis to be looked at.

He says they have questions around the economy and if it’s strong enough to handle the increase right now.

“The present Ontario government seems to think that it is, we are not yet at that mindset,” he says.

Chirico says they do support other changes around vacation time, emergency leave and equal pay for equal work.

North Bay and District Labour Council President Henri Giroux says they’re mindful there’s an election next year, but they’re welcoming the increase to minimum wage.

“I think it’s going to bring the economy up in the North Bay area. I know a lot of people talk about small business going belly-up, but I think it’s actually going to increase business for small business,” he says.

Giroux points to examples, saying in other areas, like the U.S. where they brought in minimum wage increases, the economy went up.

“Because people that have more money in their pocket will spend more money,” he says.

The increase to minimum wage is part of a major labour overhaul, here are the highlights:

  • Casual, part-time, temporary and seasonal employees will be given equal pay to full-time employees for doing equal work. There would be exceptions based on seniority and a merit system.
  • Lower minimum wage rates for liquor servers, students under 18, hunting and fishing guides, and homeworkers will also rise along with the general minimum wage.
  • Once an employee works for a company for five years, they will be entitled to three weeks of paid vacation.
  • Personal emergency leave would no longer only apply to workers at companies with 50 or more employees.
  • All workers will get 10 days per year, two of them paid. Domestic or sexual violence will be included as a reason for personal emergency leave.
  • Employers will not be allowed to request a sick note from an employee taking personal emergency leave.
  • Give unpaid leave of up to 104 weeks to parents whose children die. It is currently only offered to parents when a child’s death is related to a crime.
  • Employers must pay three hours of wages if they cancel a shift with fewer than 48 hours notice.
  • Employees can refuse shifts without repercussion if the employer gives them less than four days notice.
  • Employees on call must be paid three hours at their regular pay rate.
  • Employees will have the right to request changes to their schedule after working somewhere for three months.
  • Temp agency workers must get at least one week’s notice when a job that was supposed to last longer than three months will end early. If that notice is not given, the employee must be paid the difference.
  • Companies that misclassify workers as “independent contractors” instead of employees in order to skirt labour law obligations would be subject to fines.
  • The maximum fine for employers who violate employment standards laws will be increased from $250, $500 and $1,000 for various violations to $350, $700 and $1,500. The government will publish the names of those who are fined.
  • The maximum fines under the Labour Relations Act would increase from $2,000 for individuals and $25,000 for organizations to $5,000 and $100,000.
  • Trainees will be afforded the same rights as all employees, but people on a co-op or internship program through school would not be.
  • Make it easier for home care and community services workers, people in the building services sector, and those who work through temp agencies to unionize.
  • Allow unions to access employee lists and certain contact information if the union can demonstrate it has the support of 20 per cent of employees.

(With files from The Canadian Press)

Filed under: minimum-wage-increase, north-bay-and-district-chamber-of-commerce, north-bay-and-district-labour-council