Fines for Unlicensed employment agency; CAW names first female director; Funds to help employers hire apprentices; One-stop shop for Employment Ontario; P.E.I. bans cellphones while driving; Tax relief for long-haul truckers
Fines for Unlicensed employment agency
Edmonton — An unlicensed employment agency in Edmonton has been fined $4,500 and must pay back $15,000 in illegal fees it charged foreign workers. Alberta’s Fair Trading Act requires employment agencies to be licensed by the government and not charge workers fees for finding them jobs. Service Alberta received nine complaints that Josephine Garcia Ramoso, operating as 4 J’s Garcia, collected $15,000 from co-workers and individuals in the Filipino community to recruit relatives in the Philippines for jobs in Alberta. The workers were never offered jobs. Ramoso pleaded guilty in provincial court to nine counts of operating without a licence.
CAW names first female director
Windsor, Ont. — The Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union has named a woman as its Windsor, Ont.-area director for the first time in its 25-year history. Debbie Fields will replace Alex Keeney who retired on Dec. 1, 2009. Fields has been a union member for 40 years and was first elected as a CAW national representative in 1987. She will represent 25,000 regional union members.
Funds to help employers hire apprentices
St. John’s, N.L. — The Newfoundland and Labrador government is providing an extra $1.25 million for the province’s hiring apprenticeship program to help employers hire more apprentices. Over the past three years, the program has helped about 110 people advance through the apprenticeship program, but some can’t find the hours they need to complete their apprenticeships. The extra funds will go to the Department of Transportation and Works, school boards, health authorities and Newfoundland and Labrador Housing to help them hire apprentices.
One-stop shop for Employment Ontario
Toronto — Ontarians will soon be able to find all provincial employment and training programs in one location. Under the current system, someone seeking assistance with resumé writing, career counselling and a job search might have to visit three separate Employment Ontario offices. By August 2010, all Employment Ontario offices will offer a one-stop-shop approach to training and employment services.
P.E.I. bans cellphones while driving
Charlottetown — It’s now illegal to talk on a hand-held cellphone while driving in Prince Edward Island. The ban, which took effect Jan. 23, covers cellphones, smart-phones, 10-4 phones, GPS devices and laptop computers. The use of one-touch, hands-free devices and two-way radios is permitted. Emergency personnel, including fire and police, are exempt as are drivers who are calling 911. Fines range from $250 to $400 and three demerit points, however, more warnings than charges will likely be issued during an initial adjustment period, said the government.
Tax relief for long-haul truckers
Ottawa — The 2010 meal expenses deductible for long-haul truck drivers has been increased from 70 to 75 per cent. The measure also applies to employers that pay or reimburse such costs incurred by long-haul truck drivers they employ. In the 2007 federal budget, the government committed to increasing the deductible portion of meal expenses to 80 per cent over five years. The deductible will increase to 80 per cent for expenses incurred after 2010.
