The Ontario government has introduced the Working for Workers Six Act, 2024, building on the previous acts with measures to protect worker health, bring people into skilled trades, and keep costs down for Ontario workers.
In addition to creating new parental leave, long-term illness leave, expanded cancer coverage for firefighters, and WSIB changes to give more money back, the package supports workplace safety by cracking down on bad actor employers with mandatory minimum fines of $500,000 for corporations convicted of repeated offences within two years under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The government is also proposing to expand roadside safety laws under the Highway Traffic Act to require motorists to slow down and move over for work-related vehicles such as highway maintenance crews.
If passed, the act would:
- Require drivers to slow down and move over for work-related vehicles displaying flashing amber lights under the Highway Traffic Act (excluding construction zones with posted speed limits).
- Create new parental leave for adoption and surrogacy, and a 27-week job-protected long-term illness leave.
- Require properly fitting PPE for women in all sectors.
- Improve cancer coverage for firefighters by removing age and service duration limits.
- Invest up to $1.4 billion through the Skills Development Fund to train over 1 million workers and expand immigration pathways for health care workers.
- Return over $2.5 billion through WSIB surplus rebates, reduce premium rates, and waive fees for first-time apprenticeship certification exams.
- Create a new Skilled Trades Week in early November to honour experienced tradespeople.
- Introduce new standards, fines, and lifetime bans for fraudulent immigration representatives.
