Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce Calls on Provincial Government to Immediately Repeal Bill 148
Greater Sudbury’s business community urges immediate action to strengthen business competitiveness
GREATER SUDBURY, September 7, 2018 – Today, the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce is calling on the Government of Ontario to immediately repeal the drastic labour reforms introduced by Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces Better Jobs Act, 2017. Recent testimonials from the Ontario business community showcase a common theme – the labour reforms established by the previous government were too much, too fast, and have significantly limited its ability to maintain or grow the workforce it needs to be competitive.
“Businesses in Greater Sudbury are experiencing real consequences from this legislation’s lack of substantive stakeholder consultation and burdensome implementation timelines,” said Michael Macnamara, Chair of the Board of Directors for the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce. “Premier Ford pledged to make Ontario ‘Open for Business’ by implementing policies that make it easier to invest, start, and grow a business in the province as well as build an economy that connects workers to jobs. This begins with the reversal of Bill 148.”
Over the coming weeks, the Ontario Chamber Network and Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce will showcase testimonials about the impacts of these legislative changes, such as the need for businesses to decrease staff hours and capital investment, and increase reliance on automation.
While the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce supports keeping the minimum wage at $14 an hour, the Ontario business community must be appropriately consulted, and a comprehensive economic impact analysis needs to be completed before any further changes to employment legislation are made.
“We encourage the broader employer community to join us in calling on the government to take immediate action,” said Macnamara. “The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to working collaboratively with the provincial government to strengthen business competitiveness and economic prosperity in communities across Ontario.”
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