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Waterloo Regional Labour Council stages sitâ€"in at Health Minister‘s office pponents of the proâ€" Oposed changes . to the Employment Standards Act brought the fight to the homefront last week, as members of the Waterloo Regional Labour Council staged a sitâ€"in at the local constituency office of Health Minister Elizabeth Witmer. The labour activists said they are upset with proâ€" posed changes that would allow employers to schedule more than 48 hours of work a week without obtaining a Ministry of Labour permit, the averaging of overtime over as long as four weeks and the ability to schedule vacation time in other ways, including one day at a time. But the government insists _ that â€" employees would maintain the right to refuse to work more than 48 hours in a week, that overâ€" time would still be payable after 44 hours in a week, and that employees would have to agree to any averaging of hours over a threeâ€"week period. The province also plans to extend parental leave to meet proposed federal stanâ€" dards that would give 37 weeks of parental leave for new parents, natural or adoptive, and up to 52 weeks of combined pregnancy and parental leave for a birth mother. Jobs of parents taking leave under the changed Employment Standards Act would also be protected. But labour leaders said that the parental leave addiâ€" tion to the legislation is just sugarâ€"coating for changes that will benefit employers more than employees, and will be a bitter pill to swallow for workers not protected by union collective agreements were these standards are entrenched. Ryrie said the bill is being boosted _ as _ increasing employee democracy within the workplace, yet no employee group was part of the consultation about the proposed â€" changes â€" that received input from more One of the participants at last Wednesday‘s protest, John Ryrie, president of the local chapter of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers‘ Federation, said the whole tone of the legislation won‘t help any workers in the province, unionized or not. 21 Allen St. W. 585â€"1000 Mon Wed 9â€"5, Thurs & Fri 9â€"8, Sar 10 4 By Bos Vrganac Chronicle Staff FACTORY SHOWROOM as a a = 4/ !*.. o c un o e enc "They‘re now going to ram through this legislation without any public input," said Ryrie, about the revised bill introduced on Nov. 23. "Why shouldn‘t there be broad public opinion on it because it‘s going to affect millions of workers in Ontario." Ryrie said the legislation is just another step back for labour legislation in the Province of Ontario as the government continues to repeal the hard fought gains of workers over the past cenâ€" than 500 businesses around the province. "It‘s clearly intended to give an edge to the employers not the employees." â€" John Ryrie Ontario Secondary School Teachers‘ Federation "It‘s clearly intended to Fine Home Furnish ivingroom Suites * Bedroom Suites * Kitchen & Dining Sets * Chairs * Office Furniture * Lamps * Bar & Kitchen Counter Stools * Home Accents in Uptown Waterloo "There will be no protecâ€" tion for them," said Ryrie "They‘ll be expected to work just about any hours in any given week, and it would take astronomical number of hours before they would be entitled overtime." In an earlier statement released by Labour Minister Chris Stockwell, he disâ€" agreed with the perception of the government‘s intenâ€" tions. "Some people suggested that we were proposing to take away important protecâ€" tions, and putting forward a 60â€"hour work week," said Stockwel). "But that is simply not the case. give an edge to the employâ€" ers, not the employees," he said. The workers who will be particularly hard hit will be those who don‘t have the protection of the union and will have to deal with their employers on an individual basis. Without these protecâ€" tions workers â€" will be "coerced" into excepting these changes to their workâ€" place. "Our proposals maintain and improve important proâ€" "That can‘t be good for the bulk of the population who have genuine, and extensive concerns about the direction the governâ€" ment is going." "We‘re just tired of the government not listening whether it‘s in education or in labour issues," said Ryrie. "They pretend to listen, but they only listen to one side. tections while offering workâ€" ers and employers more flexibility â€" if they both agree." The protest at Witmer‘s office, a former Labour Minister herself, was broken up at 4:30 p.m. when demonstrators were told they would be charged with trespass by Waterloo regionâ€" al police. But the local labour activists think they‘ve made their point. PREâ€"CHRISTMAS SALE : v : 30"* OFF *Netw ork Installation +Fullâ€"Ser vice Consulting f-Web Hosting »«Computer Training #3 â€" 10 regina street n. (519) 886.1099 www .madnettercom madnetter@madnettercom the mad netter