PETERBOROUGH (ON) CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | PETERBOROUGH, ON
  • COVID-19
    • Financial Support Programs
    • Business Resources for Recovery
    • Government Responses
    • Workplace Guidelines
    • Wellness Support
    • Vaccine Information
    • Rapid Screening Kits
  • What We Do
    • Influence
    • Profile
    • Knowledge
    • TeamPtbo
  • Find A Member
    • Online Directory
  • Membership
    • Member Discounts
    • Promoting Your Business
    • I'm Here Campaign
    • #lovelocalptbo campaign
    • Join Us
    • Solar Panel Installers
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • 2022 Business Excellence Awards
    • 2022 Business Summit
    • Power Hour 2023
  • Advocacy
    • Voice of Business
  • Connect With Your Chamber
    • Join Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Your Chamber Team
    • Social Media
    • Business Resources
    • Feedback >
      • Accessibility
    • Subscribe to e-Newsletter
  • #lovelocalptbokawarthas sponsors
  • Canadian Digital Adoption Plan
  • 2022 Municipal Election
Picture
Picture

Voicing concern over the Changing Workplaces Review

5/17/2017

 
Picture
The Chamber Network is in the midst of a big advocacy push right now around the Changing Workplaces Review, which will be publicly released this coming Tuesday. 

What’s been coming out about the report and how the government is going to proceed with some of the recommendations in recent days has the business community concerned.  Ahead of the public release of the report and recommendations, the business community has weighed in with its concerns in a letter to Premier Wynne.  The letter asks the provincial government to:
  • conduct and make public economic impact analysis on any recommendations it will consider bringing forth as legislation
  • determine acceptability thresholds for accepting a change 
  • be prepared to offer a commensurate economic offset measure  
For the past two years, through the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), the voice of business has been at the table recognizing that the working environment has changed, but cautioning government against change for change’s sake.   In the 2017 budget released just two weeks ago, the Ontario Government presented numbers that showed that since June 2009, 98% of jobs were full-time, with 78% of new jobs in above average wage industries.  These numbers show the positive impact of the private sector in Ontario and the commitment to good jobs.  

The two year Changing Workplaces Review was commissioned by the province to examine and make
recommendations for updates to the Labour Relations Act (LRA) and the Employment Standards Act (ESA).   The Labour Minister was expected to discuss his thoughts with the Liberal Cabinet yesterday (Wednesday, May 17) and then the full report will be released this coming Tuesday.  

The Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade network, including your Peterborough Chamber, believes it is
imperative to understand the impacts of any proposed changes, especially for small business which makes up 98% of Ontario’s business mix.  With more than 400,000 small businesses across all sectors of our economy employing hundreds of thousands of Ontarians, we need evidence that any proposed changes under the LRA and ESA do not hurt the economic viability of small business.  Already, many businesses face challenges around electricity pricing, cap and trade, increases in product costs and meeting accessibility requirements.   

Earlier this year, Peterborough Chamber members contributed to Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s Business Confidence Index.  There was a significant confidence gap between how businesses felt about their own abilities and the confidence they had in government to create a competitive climate for business operation.  The index also identified that finding and securing talent was one of the biggest challenges for businesses.

“By rushing ahead with reforms that could discourage investment and eliminate jobs, we believe the concerns revealed in the Business Confidence Index will only be amplified,” says Stuart Harrison, President & CEO, Peterborough Chamber of Commerce. “We need to get the message out that proposed changes could diminish economic opportunities in Ontario.”

The OCC, in its letter to Premier Wynne, also states that education and enforcement of current measures
is an important area of common ground for government, employees and employers and that the goals of economic growth and improved employee rights are not mutually exclusive.  What supports the competitiveness of Ontario’s economy will help enhance quality of work.
​
Furthermore, as Richard Koroscil, Interim-President and CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce says in the letter to the Premier, there is potential for “These sweeping changes to tip our economic balance in a profoundly negative way, therefore, we will continue to urge Premier Wynne to complete an economic impact analysis of the proposed reforms to limit potential consequences that could seriously jeopardize our future growth. Politics cannot drive decision-making, evidence must.”  

Ontario Chamber Rapid Policy Update


Comments are closed.

    Author

    The Peterborough 
    Chamber of Commerce acts as a catalyst to enhance business growth, opportunity, innovation, partnerships and a diverse business community. 

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Copyright © 2021 Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce.  ​All rights reserved.
175 George Street North, Peterborough, ON, K9J 3G6
Phone: (705) 748-9771  |  (705) 743-2331  
Home    |    Calendar    |   Site Map   |    Privacy    |    Accessibility
Join the Chamber
MemberClicks
  • COVID-19
    • Financial Support Programs
    • Business Resources for Recovery
    • Government Responses
    • Workplace Guidelines
    • Wellness Support
    • Vaccine Information
    • Rapid Screening Kits
  • What We Do
    • Influence
    • Profile
    • Knowledge
    • TeamPtbo
  • Find A Member
    • Online Directory
  • Membership
    • Member Discounts
    • Promoting Your Business
    • I'm Here Campaign
    • #lovelocalptbo campaign
    • Join Us
    • Solar Panel Installers
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • 2022 Business Excellence Awards
    • 2022 Business Summit
    • Power Hour 2023
  • Advocacy
    • Voice of Business
  • Connect With Your Chamber
    • Join Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Your Chamber Team
    • Social Media
    • Business Resources
    • Feedback >
      • Accessibility
    • Subscribe to e-Newsletter
  • #lovelocalptbokawarthas sponsors
  • Canadian Digital Adoption Plan
  • 2022 Municipal Election