When COVID-19 first hit, the Ontario government declared a state of emergency. This allowed them to pass many emergency orders, most of which allowed employers to ignore sections of our collective bargaining rights. These orders were meant to be temporary measures to handle a fast-changing crisis.
On July 21st, in under two weeks and without public consultation, the Ford Conservatives pushed through a massive abuse of power with Bill 195. While the legislation ends the state of emergency, and Ontarians will see an easing of restrictions, the government is extending its extraordinary, undemocratic, and unprecedented powers over the working conditions of front-line heroes.
Front-line workers – who kept us safe and delivered the services we needed more than ever – deserve better than unnecessary attacks on their Charter rights. They deserve to have their rights restored today.
Let’s show them how much they matter to our communities.
Dear Premier Ford,
I am writing today to call on you to end the emergency orders that scrap workers’ rights permitted by the newly-passed Bill 195.
Bill 195 extends the emergency orders which override key parts of front-line workers’ contracts indefinitely, even though the Bill says the emergency is over.
Layoff and reassignment rights; all leave rights, like parental leave; and contracting out provisions can now be violated.
And when many front-line heroes are already struggling with securing adequate childcare, the Bill empowers employers to change workers’ shifts at the last minute with no consultation.
It can change workers’ jobs and send them to other sites whether they have transit issues or not.
Bill 195 is an attack on fundamental workers’ rights and yet another instance of front-line workers getting less respect than they deserve. These workers who kept us safe and delivered critical services we needed most deserve respect with full access to their rights – not the blunt instrument of emergency orders.
I urge you to respect front-line workers, end the emergency orders, and restore their rights today.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Email
