I’d like to start by thanking the minister that spoke early on and my PA colleague, Deepak Anand, for his gracious statements.

I’m pleased to rise in the House today for third reading of the Working for Workers Four Act, 2023. It has been an honour to work with the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development on this bill to further support and protect workers and their families. I would also like to add my thanks to our Premier for his tremendous leadership and support for the Working for Workers acts that have been passed by this House over the last three years.

Madam Speaker, I stand before you today with a strong sense of purpose as I talk about important changes to our employment laws and workplace safety initiatives we are proposing in the Working for Workers Four Act that would further the evolution of workplace health and safety. These proposals embody our commitment to fostering fairness, transparency and support, and to ensuring we keep up with the way work is changing in Ontario and around the world.

Speaker, today I am here to share with you the remaining pieces of Bill 149, as well as some related measures. The first area that I would like to speak on is relating to vacation pay provisions. Too often, employers do not understand the ins and outs of the vacation pay provisions, and employees may lose out because of that. That is why, Madam Speaker, we are proposing to take steps to clearly explain vacation pay provisions, to make sure employers and employees know their rights and responsibilities. We want to ensure that both employers and employees are aware of the rules on vacation pay.

This bill aims to ensure that employees are fully informed about when vacation pay must be paid and that a written agreement is needed in cases where vacation pay is paid in any other way than a lump sum before the employee begins their vacation. This change would protect the interests of both employees and employers. It would help emphasize the importance of clear communication between employers and employees, underlining the need for mutual understanding of the terms governing when vacation pay is paid.

This is about providing a fair and transparent process for everyone involved. By ensuring that everyone is on the same page regarding vacation pay, our goal is to foster transparency and promote fairness in the workplace. We will continue to use every tool in our tool box to ensure Ontario is a province where hard work pays off.

The next area of concern is enabling super-indexation of WSIB benefits. Madam Speaker, our mission is to build a province that leaves no one behind, because every worker deserves to come home safely to their family at the end of their shift and every workplace injury and occupational disease should be preventable.

Our ministry invested $100 million annually in workplace health and safety for this very reason. But we know 134,000 workers rely on the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board for long-term compensation as a result of physical and mental injuries or illnesses they have suffered on the job. Madam Speaker, while our number one goal is always to give these workers the support they need to return to work, to support their families, contribute to Ontario’s economy and to build their communities, we know it is not always possible. That is why this legislation will, if passed and proclaimed into force, support injured workers by enabling additional indexation increases to WSIB benefits over and above the annual indexation, which is based on indicators of the rate of inflation.

Under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, benefits are annually indexed based on change in the Consumer Price Index over a period of 12 months, providing a cost-of-living adjustment. The proposed super-indexing amendment seeks to allow indexation increases beyond the regular annual adjustment. If passed, the amendment would empower our government to set these additional indexation increases and would require the WSIB to apply those increases on the specific dates, responding to economic factors and ensuring fairness during times of rising costs.

This proposal represents a significant step in delivering on our government’s commitment to supporting injured workers. For example, for an injured worker who earns $70,000 a year, if a 2% indexation increase is prescribed, it could mean an additional $900 annually to top up the cost-of-living adjustment, which is 4.4% in 2024. This change is a testament to our government’s dedication to ensuring the well-being of workers and their families in the face of evolving economic conditions.

Regulation for additional three poisonings to the WSIA: Madam Speaker, I am pleased to share with you our government’s continuing commitment to expediting access to compensation and services for injured workers. I want to take a minute to tell you about another measure we have recently taken to help Ontario’s workers that complements our Working for Workers legislation. With new regulations under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, our government has added chlorine, ammonia and hydrogen sulphide poisoning—when associated with related work, such as chlorine poisoning in the pool industry—to the list of presumed work-related occupational diseases. This will make it easier and faster for injured workers and survivors to get access to WSIB support and compensation.

Previously, these claims were adjudicated based on establishing the workplace relatedness of occupational diseases, but the new regulation streamlines the process. This regulation will ensure that if a worker gets sick from contact with chlorine, ammonia, hydrogen sulphide at work, they will get faster access to the support and compensation they need from the WSIB.

By presuming that workers’ illnesses are work-related, we are speeding up the process to make decisions and getting them the benefits they need. This change is not just about efficiency, it is about recognizing the challenges faced by workers in specific industries and providing them with a more straightforward path to compensation and support. The board regulation reflects our government’s commitment to creating a workplace safety and insurance system that reflects the current knowledge about occupational diseases.

Personal critical illness job-protected leave consultations: Madam Speaker, our commitment to the well-being of workers also extends to those facing personal critical illnesses. I would like to bring your attention to the planning consultation that speaks to the needs of this population. Our government understands the challenges that individuals living with critical illnesses face. This planned consultation on unpaid personal critical illness job-protected leave seeks to address a significant issue, potentially leading to legislation that would create a new unpaid job-protected leave for employees facing critical illnesses.

The Employment Standards Act currently provides three days of unpaid sick leave per year for personal illnesses. However, it is falling short when it comes to personal critical illness. We recognize the enormous toll receiving a diagnosis of a critical illness such as cancer can take. In addition to the stress of managing their illness, workers need to deal with the potential need for unexpected time off. While there are financial supports available through the federal government insurance sickness benefits, it should be a given that someone’s job will be waiting for them when they return, which, unfortunately, isn’t always the case.

This consultation is about creating a new unpaid job-protected leave that aligns with the length of federal employment insurance sickness benefits, which is 26 weeks. The federal medical leave that applies to employees working in the federally regulated industries and workplaces covers a wide range of reasons, including personal illness or injury, organ donation or medical appointments during working hours.

Our aim is to ease the burden on those facing critical illness and offer the protection they need during challenging times. Our government consultations would be aimed at exploring a new leave under the ESA for personal critical illness, because nobody should be stuck at home or in the hospital battling cancer or another critical illness and have to worry about losing their livelihood.

As we examine the evolving nature of work, this proposal aligns with our ongoing efforts to support workers facing personal critical illness. It is a realization of our commitment to understanding and responding to the diverse and changing needs of Ontarians. We can all agree that anyone dealing with a personal critical illness should be able to focus on getting better, with the certainty their job will be there for them when they are ready and able to return to work.

Speaker, because of Bill 149 representing our government’s ongoing efforts to shape a future where both employees and employers are supported and successful, if this bill is passed, Ontario would take significant steps to improve clarity around vacation pay.

I want to end—because it seems like my time is running out here. The additional regulation will ensure expedited access to benefits by adding three poisonings to the list of presumed work-related occupational diseases, and the planned consultation would explore a new unpaid leave under the ESA for personal and critical illnesses. Each piece of this bill and related measures is a step toward a more supportive, equitable Ontario.

I call on all members of this House to join me in supporting Bill 149, the Working for Workers Four Act, 2023.