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David Piccini, Ontario’s minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, announces proposed changes to workplace legislation. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development)
The Ontario government is introducing a series of proposed changes to protect workers, including cutting red tape to accelerate the construction of Skills Development Fund (SDF) training centres at a time when the province says the centres are needed to support workers impacted by U.S. tariffs and economic uncertainty.
“Ontario workers are counting on us to have their backs by helping them access the skills training they need to stay on the job, despite the impact of U.S. tariffs,” said David Piccini, the province’s minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “We’re making sure our $2.5 billion investment in SDF is going directly to the workers who need it most and we will continue fighting to protect Ontario workers no matter what comes our way.”
The proposed legislative and regulatory amendments under the seventh edition of the Working for Workers Acts would exempt training centres supported by the SDF capital stream from certain permit and approval requirements that can slow down construction. By exempting these projects from certain items related to the land use planning system, while maintaining health and safety focused permits and approvals such as those under the Ontario Building Code and the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, training partners will be able to get these centres built and start training workers faster, says the province.
“LiUNA Local 506 welcomes these changes as they are necessary to increase the capacity of training and skills development that is needed to build our schools, hospitals and critical infrastructure,” stated Carmen Principato, business manager at LiUNA Local 506. “By removing the unnecessary processes that resulted in increased costs and timely delays, new facilities will be built faster providing the training space for the workers who are building Ontario.”
Other proposed changes include new requirements for the reporting of fraudulent job advertisements, regulatory adjustments to reduce duplication for construction projects required to implement Chief Prevention Officer (CPO)-accredited health and safety management systems as part of the procurement process, and allowing Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (ONIP) employer applicants to submit their applications electronically through a new ONIP employer portal.
“The Ontario Road Builders Association welcomes the Ministry’s commitment to ensure ISO 45001 and COR 2020 are treated equivalently for public procurements,” commented Steven Crombie, senior director of public affairs with the Ontario Road Builders’ Association. “Our members are dedicated to the highest standards of health and safety, and addressing equivalency recognition will help reduce unnecessary duplication while ensuring robust oversight.”