B.C. Labour Relations Board rules on blacklisting / Employers slam made-in-Ontario pension plan
B.C. Labour Relations Board rules on blacklisting
VANCOUVER — British Columbia’s Labour Relations Board (BCLRB) recently ruled that Mexican government officials blacklisted seasonal migrant workers from returning to Canada.
The workers were suspected of being union sympathizers, the board reported, and Mexico altered documents in an attempt to cover up its union-busting activities.
United Food and Commercial Workers Canada (UFCW) Local 1518 presented evidence of the blacklisting to the BCLRB in 2012. The union represents migrant workers at Sidhu & Sons Nursery in the B.C. Lower Mainland. The labour board’s March 20 ruling came after years of legal wrangling, the union said.
"It has been a long battle, but finally the truth has won out," said Ivan Limpright, president of UFCW Canada Local 1518. "Every worker in Canada has the right to join a union, including migrant workers. Mexico’s blacklisting and coercion violated Canadian laws and the rights of workers involved."
The BCLRB’s verdict prompted the province’s opposition to demand action from Premier Christy Clarke.
"Will the premier, given the decision and the ruling of B.C. Labour Relations Board, take action to ensure that workers in that situation get the same rights as every other worker in British Columbia?" asked NDP leader of the opposition Adrian Dix. "Will she take action? Will she join with me, for example, in sending a joint letter to the Mexican consulate saying that this practice is completely unacceptable to her?"
While Clarke declined to comment on the co-signing of a letter, she said the province has every intention of fulfilling its responsibilities to workers.
"Every worker in British Columbia has the right to be protected," Clarke said. "We believe in that. We stand for that, and those rules exist across the board to protect people no matter where they come from."
Employers slam made-in-Ontario pension plan
OTTAWA — Employers are not on board with a made-in-Ontario pension plan.
A report released at the end of March from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and Certified General Accountants of Ontario revealed that employers do not support a provincially-made pension plan. Instead, management groups preferred Pooled Registered Pension Plans (PRPPs) as a means to better prepare for retirement, according to the report, An Employer Perspective on Fixing Ontario’s Pension Problem.
"Employers recognize that there are no quick and easy fixes," said Allan O’Dette, president and CEO of the chamber of commerce. "Ontario’s pension problem requires a long-term perspective and a comprehensive solution that results in seniors having adequate replacement income when they retire. Employers felt that PRPPs were the best solution to helping Ontarians save more."
A PRPP is a workplace pension managed and regulated by third-party financial service providers and are targeted specifically to small and medium businesses. The study noted employers worry the current proposed pension system in Ontario is unsustainable.
Of particular concern is that pension reform could diminish Ontario’s long-term competitiveness and should instead target those who need assistance. As well, any reforms should be Canada-wide, not province-specific — for fear changes could further fragment and complicate the pension landscape.
Eighty-six per cent of employers surveyed supported introducing PRPPs in Ontario, and far fewer supported enhancing the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or an Ontario pension plan.
For Ontario to keep long-term economic prosperity, its large cohort of retirees must maintain their purchasing power, the report concluded.
