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3 | Thursday, D ecem ber 2 2 , 2 0 1 6 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Too many working two or three jobs to pay bills: Flynn by Nathan Howes Oakville Beaver Staff O AKVILLE CHAMBER COMMERCE Ontario is reviewing its workplace regulations, Ontario Labour Minister and Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn told an Oakville Chamber of Commerce breakfast Dec. f6. Flynn, who himself is finding his workload expanding as he was also sworn in Friday, as the new Ontario Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, discussed the Province' s ongoing Changing Workplaces Review Flynn' s workforce presentation drew a sell-out crowd of f 75 to the ffoliday Inn-Oakville Centre on Argus Road. "The workforce in Ontario is facing some real significant challenges. Thatk one of the reasons w e launched the Changing Workplaces Review," said Flynn. "It' s the first time in history of the province that w e' ve ever reviewed the Employment Standards Act and Labour Relations Act at the same time." Launched in 2015, the review is in response to the workplace' s "changing at an unprecedented rate," Flynn said. The Oakville MPP has met with lawyers, company leaders, business officials and organized labour groups since the review began. Flynn said he quickly realized the issues are those "we talk about around the kitchen table." "Often, we define ourselves by our work. Often, itfewhat we do on a daily basis. Sometimes, we spend more time with the people at work than jV'HAMI'.KK O A K VILLE Ontario Labour Minister Kevin Flynn | Nathan Howes photo we do with our own family members," he said. Initial consultation indicated the business community was looking for more efficiency and flexibility to remain competitive. Labour groups highlighted what they felt was a "growing imbalance in power" in the workplace. "The response to these initial consultations was very encouraging. We had hundreds of submissions, some came from Chambers, some came from businesses. There were more than 1,000 recommendations," said Flynn, noting they were compiled with research into an interim report, released earlier this year. "The report was very, very thorough. It outlined some of the objectives, it outlined some of the trends, very specific themes and issues, as well as the responses they received from the various parties." The inquiry is also about evaluating Ontario' s business model -- "What we do, how we run our businesses," Flynn said, referring to those who abide by the rules. "Those are the ones who believe in the free market, but believe in a fair regulation of that free market, so there' s opportunity for everybody," he said. "The fact we have vulnerable workers in the province, and the fact precarious work, perhaps, is on the rise, could be laid at the feet of those people who decided, some time ago, the rules the rest of us play by simply don' t apply to them." Flynn noted the legislation was last reviewed "in a serious way" in the mid-1990s. "The world of work that I entered into as a young person and the world of work that perhaps you entered as a young person is, quite simply, not the same world of work young people are entering today," said Flynn. Nearly one in five Ontario workers have part-time employment, while temporary jobs continue to rise at what Flynn considers an "alarming rate," he said, noting it is increasing at 3.5 per cent annually. More than 10 per cent of all employees are involved in temporary positions. "We have far too many people who are forced to get two or three jobs in order to simply get by to pay the rent, to pay the bills, to pay those normal things that we take for granted as household bills," said Flynn. On average, the Ministry of Labour receives about 1,500 employment standards infractions a month, Flynn noted. "That is unacceptable to me. It shows there are still too many businesses that take advantage of people and try to find ways to get around the laws we put in place awhile ago, to protect workers and to protect business," said Flynn. The advisers laid out options, not recommendations, in the interim report, Flynn said. Recommendations are being developed "as we speak," he said. The Labour Minister will receive final recommendations in late winter, to be followed by more consultations before legislation is developed to "mirror the balance" he wants to achieve, Flynn said. "While many of the concerns and solutions are quite varied, and the specific outcomes remain very different, all the partners I' ve been working with share a common goal," he added. "The Ontario business community sees the important value of protecting our workers while supporting businesses." BOXING WEEK SALE *Valid for any 3 for 1 purchase, cannot be combined with any other offer. 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