Chamber highlighting the implications for business of Bill 148, Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act
(Greater Sudbury, August 22, 2017) The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce has launched an awareness campaign around Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, to help businesses understand the impact it could have on them.
This awareness campaign follows the recent release of the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis’s (CANCEA) report on the economic impacts of Bill 148. CANCEA’s independent analysis found that Bill 148 puts more than 2200 jobs at risk in Greater Sudbury alone and creates a $23 billion challenge for Ontario businesses.
Bill 148 proposes a series of dramatic changes to labour and employment legislation, including increasing the minimum wage to $15/hour by January 2019, increases to vacation and leave entitlements, new scheduling obligations, and temporary work regulations. These amendments will bring new costs to business, put thousands of jobs at risk, and threaten Greater Sudbury’s economic prosperity.
“It’s critical that all businesses in Greater Sudbury understand how Bill 148 could impact their operations,” said Michael Macnamara, Chair of the Board, Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce. “Businesses need to be aware so they can contact their MPPs or the Premier to tell them how the unintended consequences of the Bill will affect their enterprise. This legislation will touch every business and result in negative consequences to our economy.”
The chamber is encouraging businesses to visit sudburychamber.ca/bill148 so they can learn more about this legislation and what they can do to tell provincial policy makers about their concerns.
The chamber will be hosting an event on Friday, September 8th that will educate employers on the proposed changes and what it will mean for their business.
The chamber is asking businesses to contact it with examples of how Bill 148 will affect them. Here is what the chamber has already heard from a number of employers:
• “Bill 148 is set to increase my payroll expenses by 29%.” – Tracy Nutt, ServiceMaster of Sudbury/Build North Construction
• “I have fixed contracts with my clients, and payroll makes up more than 80% of my expenses. There’s no way my business can absorb a 32% increase in the minimum wage.” – Rob Bertuzzi, Reliable Cleaning Services
• “It’s not just one change – it’s the combined effect of many changes and the fact that the burden is constantly increasing. When you add up the costs of leave days, increasing vacation time, skyrocketing hydro rates and red tape that continues to multiply, it’s almost to the point where it’s not worth being in business anymore.” – Rob Brouillette, City Welding
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For more information, please contact:
Bryan Heystee
Policy and Communications Manager
Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce
705-673-7133 ext. 224
705-677-5735 (cell)
[email protected]
www.sudburychamber.ca
The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization that represents 850 businesses and through the participation of its member volunteers on committees and task forces, it works ‘as the Voice of Business’ to influence federal, provincial and local legislation affecting business.