Published Plan and Annual Report 2014-2015: Ministry of Labour

Ministry Overview

Ministry Vision

Ontario’s workplaces are safe, healthy, fair and harmonious and balanced with the need to support a competitive and sustainable economy.

Ministry Mission

Ministry of Labour’s (MOL) mission is to advance safe, fair and harmonious workplace practices that are essential to the social and economic well-being of the people of Ontario.

Ministry Contribution to Key Priorities and Results

MOL supports two key government priorities: Investing in People and Supporting a Dynamic and Innovative Business Climate. In addition, MOL supports the government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy.

MOL contributes to these priorities through the efficient delivery of public services in its three primary areas of responsibility:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Employment Rights and Responsibilities
• Labour Relations

The Occupational Health and Safety Program, in collaboration with system partners such as the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and the Health and Safety Associations, aims to reduce and prevent fatalities, illness and injuries across all sectors of Ontario’s workplaces. A safe work environment contributes to higher productivity and lower employment costs, thus attracting jobs and investment to Ontario. This supports a strong and competitive economy and job market.

The Employment Rights and Responsibilities Program helps create fair workplaces and a level playing field for employers, thereby reinforcing a competitive business environment that attracts jobs and investment in Ontario.

The program also supports the Poverty Reduction Strategy by helping to protect Ontario’s most vulnerable workers, through enforcement of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and other employment related legislation (e.g., Employment Protection of Foreign Nationals Act, 2009).

The Labour Relations Program supports fair and stable workplaces and increases productivity by facilitating effective labour relations dispute resolution, making Ontario an attractive place for investment.

The following diagram shows how MOL’s key strategies support the government’s key priorities.

Ministry Contribution to Key Priorities and Results

The Ministry of Labour has three key programs: Occupational Health and Safety, Labour Relations, and Employment Rights and Responsibilities. For each of these key programs there is a key performance measure with a commitment target for 2014-15.

The key performance measure for the Occupational Health and Safety program is to Maintain lost time injury rate at or below 1.05 for Schedule 1 employers and at or below 1.9 for Schedule 2 employers. The major activities and strategies the program will be using to achieve this commitment include: establish and implement a province-wide strategy for reducing occupational injuries and illnesses; inspect high-hazards/high cost workplaces to reduce lost time injuries; and, help the WSIB and employers avoid injury costs.

The key performance for the Labour Relations program is to have 95 per cent of all collective agreement settlements achieved without a work stoppage. The major activities and strategies the program will be using to achieve this commitment include: facilitate labour relations dispute resolution to create fairness and stability in the workplace; and, promote best practices in labour relations.

The key performance measure for the Employment Rights and Responsibilities program is to complete 2,600 proactive inspections to promote compliance with the Employment Standards Act, 2000. The major activities and strategies the program will be using to achieve this commitment include: conduct proactive inspections in high risk workplaces; resolve claims for unpaid wages; and, achieve a level playing field for employers and workers to ensure competitiveness.

The results achieved through all of the major activities and strategies identified above will be: a more competitive economy; increased productivity in the workplace; safer and healthier workplaces; fair and equitable workplaces; and unpaid wages and other entitlements recovered for vulnerable workers. These results support the government’s key priorities of Investing in People, Supporting a Dynamic and Innovative Business Climate and Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Ministry Programs and Activities

Occupational Health and Safety

The aim of MOL’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) program is to reduce or eliminate workplace fatalities, injuries and illness primarily through two closely linked areas of OHS: prevention and enforcement. MOL works closely with workplace health and safety system partners to improve occupational health and safety across the province.

The foundation of MOL’s OHS program is the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations, which establish rights and duties of workers, employers, and key institutions. Among other things, the OHSA requires compliance with minimum standards to protect the health and safety of Ontario workers. The OHSA applies to all workplaces across all business sectors of Ontario except for work activities undertaken by owner/residents in their own homes, farming operations and businesses operated by self-employed persons, and workplaces regulated by the federal government.

A key concept underpinning the OHSA is that of the Internal Responsibility System (IRS). The IRS is a worker-employer partnership within a workplace, where both parties work together to prevent illness, injuries and fatalities. Under the OHSA, the IRS can be in the form of a worker Health and Safety Representative (workplaces with 6-19 workers) or a Joint Health and Safety Committee with both worker and employer representatives.

Implementing the Recommendations of the Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health and Safety

In 2010, the Government of Ontario accepted all 46 recommendations of Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health and Safety. Two of the key recommendations were to transfer the prevention mandate from the WSIB to MOL, including oversight of the Health and Safety Associations (HSAs), and to create a Chief Prevention Officer with a province-wide mandate. These and other related changes were enacted through Bill 160 and took effect April 1, 2012.

A number of the Expert Panel’s recommendations were based on the principle that several partners needed to work together in a more coordinated fashion to raise the level of workplace health and safety, and that more stakeholders needed to be engaged in preventive activities.

The adoption of the Panel’s recommendations resulted in:

• The creation of a multi-stakeholder Prevention Council to advise the Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) on a wide range of occupational health and safety issues;
• The establishment of a Vulnerable Worker Task Group and a Small Business Task Group; and
• The assignment of funding and oversight responsibilities to the CPO for the six HSAs.

The Prevention Council consists of eleven members, including four labour and four employer representatives, a non-unionized worker representative, an occupational health and safety expert, and a representative from the WSIB. In addition to providing strategic advice to the CPO, Council members engage with OHS system partners and stakeholder networks in support of the Prevention Office’s mandate.

The mandates of the Vulnerable Worker Task Group and Small Business Task Group are to provide advice to improve the system’s understanding of the occupational health and safety needs of vulnerable workers and small businesses. The Task Groups are currently working on the development of an outreach strategy.

The six HSAs, which are designated under the OHSA and funded by MOL, offer occupational health and safety training, education, awareness and specialized clinic services. These organizations are:

Four sector-focused Safe Workplace Associations:

• Infrastructure Health and Safety Association
• Public Services Health and Safety Association
• Workplace Safety North
• Workplace Safety and Prevention Services

A medical clinic: Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers

A training centre: Workers Health and Safety Centre

Key Prevention Office Responsibilities and Activities

• Under the leadership of the CPO, with advice from the Prevention Council, the Prevention Office is responsible for a wide array of activities.
• Developing and implementing the first province-wide integrated occupational health and safety strategy, designed to integrate/coordinate planning and activities among the system partners and stakeholders.
• Developing enhanced data management and performance measures that will improve information about occupational health and safety across the province.
• Funding and oversight of HSAs through Transfer Payment Agreements and monitoring of their compliance with those agreements.
• Funding the delivery of health and safety training and consulting (through the HSAs) to workplace health and safety representatives, health and safety committee members and employers.
• Administering occupational health and safety research funding and other grants, as part of the transfer of responsibilities from the WSIB to MOL.
• Review of incentive programs (Prevention Program Review Group)
• Development and administration of mandatory training programs and requirements (e.g., awareness, Joint Health and Safety Committee, high-hazard training).
• Establishment of requirements for certification of members of Joint Health and Safety Committees and certification of members who meet those requirements.
• Raising awareness and engagement across the province (e.g. through a social awareness plan, a ministry-wide stakeholder engagement strategy).
• Developing and delivering MOL’s young worker education, awareness and injury prevention programs.

Province-wide Integrated Health and Safety Strategy

The Prevention program has developed a comprehensive workplace injury and illness prevention strategy called Healthy and Safe Ontario Workplaces, A Strategy for Transforming Occupational Health and Safety, which builds on the recommendations of the 2010 Expert Advisory Panel Report on Occupational Health and Safety. The Strategy provides a framework which will guide and align the Ministry’s health and safety prevention and enforcement efforts going forward and will work with business, employee groups and the provincial occupational health and safety partners to create a culture where occupational health and safety is at the centre of the workplace and Ontario continues to be one of the safest jurisdictions.

Implementation of the OHS Strategy involves the development and implementation of action plans for each of the six strategic priority areas shown in the diagram below. Planning will include participation from relevant OHS partners. Implementation will require strengthening the alignment of MOL’s transfer payment programs with the strategy, including:

• Tracking Health and Safety Association’s activities according to strategic priority,
• Aligning research investments, and
• Reviewing the grant program.

Reporting and monitoring of implementation will be published in an annual report that will be made available to the public.

Details of Prevention Office’s achievements are set out in MOL's 2013-14 Annual Report.

OHS Enforcement Activities

Another key component of the OHS program is enforcement. Enforcement activities are focused on high hazard workplaces to ensure compliance with the OHSA before injuries occur. Occupational health and safety inspectors also conduct investigations as a result from a work refusal, injury, illness or fatality.

The OHSA imposes requirements and duties on workplace parties to minimize the risk of injuries on the job and provides for the enforcement of the law where compliance has not been achieved voluntarily. Ministry health and safety inspectors have broad powers to enforce the OHSA. This includes the power to inspect any workplace; investigate any potential hazardous situation and work refusal; order compliance with the Act and related regulations; and/or, commence a prosecution.

Safe At Work Ontario

As part of the Healthy and Safe Ontario Workplaces strategy, Safe At Work Ontario focuses on compliance, specifically enforcement and monitoring, and is designed to:

• Reduce workplace injuries and illness;
• Bring improvement to the health and safety culture of workplaces;
• Reduce the burden on Ontario’s health care system;
• Avoid costs for employers and the WSIB; and,
• Provide a level playing field for compliant companies.

Most often the incidents that lead to injury or death are preventable or avoidable. That’s why Safe At Work Ontario takes a proactive approach to safety inspections.

The foundation of the compliance strategy consists of three pillars which also support the Healthy and Safe Ontario Workplaces strategy:

1. Enforcement of the OHSA primarily through proactive inspections under blitz initiatives as well as provincial and regional initiatives.
2. Compliance and the provision of information to assist workplaces to become compliant through publishing sector specific enforcement strategies and providing support for health and safety blitzes and initiatives.
3. Partnership, where the ministry works with stakeholders to refine ministry enforcement efforts.

Safe At Work Ontario uses a risk based approach to determine which businesses require inspection and includes factors, such as:

• Injury rates and associated costs;
• A company’s health and safety compliance history;
• The presence of new, young or otherwise vulnerable workers;
• Hazards inherent to the business of the workplace;
• New businesses,
• Size of businesses, and,
• Specific events or incidents (e.g., critical injuries or fatal injuries, or injuries due to workplace violence).

Safety Blitzes are a key component of the Safe At Work Ontario strategy. Through the Safety Blitzes, MOL inspectors focus on raising awareness on key workplace hazards and identify and inspect workplaces where these hazards might be present. In 2014-15, the Ministry of Labour will be conducting 9 blitzes across three main sectors across Ontario: construction, industrial, and mining sectors. The blitzes continue to be well received by employer and labour stakeholders.

The Safe At Work Ontario strategy builds on what the ministry has learned from previous enforcement activities and increases the level of transparency to the public:

• Sector specific plans are posted on the Ministry of Labour’s website;
• Annual consultations provide an opportunity for stakeholders to shape future strategies and initiatives;
• Videos such as Fall Hazard Safety in Low Rise Construction, Workplace Violence and Harassment, Forklift Safety Inspection, and Auto Body Repair Shop Safety Inspection provide insight for employers on inspections; and,
• All blitz activities along with support material for employers, such as posters and fact sheets, are posted on the Ministry of Labour’s website in advance and results are posted within 90 days of the end of the blitz.

To support the partnership pillar of Safe At Work Ontario, the Ministry of Labour continues to build on its strong partnerships within Ontario’s occupational health and safety system, including the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), Health and Safety Associations (HSAs), and the Institute for Work and Health. Ontario’s HSAs provide training programs, products and services to the province’s employers and workers. Firms with poor health and safety records may be identified for inspection by the Ministry of Labour and engaged by an HSAs for health and safety education and training.

Lost-Time Injury Rates

The Lost-time Injury (LTI) rate is based on data collected and reported by the WSIB. Over the past several years the ministry has committed to maintain the LTI rate at or below 1.8 per 100 workers. With the combined efforts of the health and safety partners, the Ministry of Labour helped maintain the LTI rate at 1.4 per 100 workers in 2009 and 2010, a reduction of more than 30% since 2003.

In 2011, the WSIB developed a new formula for calculating and reporting on the rate of injury and illness for Ontario. The WSIB stopped offering a provincial LTI rate but continued to report separate LTI rates for Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 employers.

Schedule 1 employers operate under the collective liability insurance principle. The WSIB reported a Schedule 1 LTI rate of 1.01 for 2012 – down from 1.05 for 2011.

Schedule 2 employers are individually responsible for the full cost of the accident claims filed by their workers. The WSIB reported a Schedule 2 LTI rate of 1.85 for 2012 – down from 1.91 for 2011.

The following graph shows the historical trend for the LTI rates for Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 employers.

Lost-Time Injury Rates – Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 Employers

For 2014, the Ministry of Labour is working towards maintaining the LTI rate at or below 1.05 and at or below 1.91 for Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 employers respectively.

Further information on Ministry of Labour initiatives to protect workers can be obtained from the Ministry’s website.

Employment Rights and Responsibilities

Protect Vulnerable Workers and Support Poverty Reduction

The Ministry of Labour’s Employment Rights and Responsibilities program is a key contributor to the creation and maintenance of workplaces that promote a more competitive business environment, a more engaged workforce, and a level playing field for employers.

The program administers and enforces the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) and other employment related legislation (e.g., Employment Protection of Foreign Nationals Act, 2009). Compliance with these laws and Regulations is promoted through activities focusing on prevention (education, outreach and partnerships), inspections, investigations and enforcement.

The program’s activities ensure that Ontario employees, including vulnerable workers, are protected by minimum workplace standards in respect to wages and working conditions.

The program provides information to employers and employees through various sources that explain respective rights and responsibilities under the ESA. Much of this information is available in 23 languages. Program services are delivered through regional/field offices with enforcement staff that investigate and resolve employment standards complaints about employers who may not be complying with their obligations under the ESA. Field staff also conduct proactive inspections of workplace practices to enforce and promote compliance.

In delivering its mandate, the Employment Standards program supports Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, which is focused on low-income families, children and youth. The overall goal of the Poverty Reduction Strategy is to break the cycle of poverty through housing support, fair wages and working conditions, community empowerment and improving the success of children in school.

The ministry has been working to modernize the Employment Standards program on all fronts including:

• Improving its investigation processes to better serve those who need our help. The two-step process ensures claims are streamed for early resolution and parties are given an opportunity to resolve the issue.
• Increasing the availability of compliance tools, resources and interactive online calculators for both employers and employees. These tools have been used over 3.8 million times to date.
• Providing a multilingual toll-free information centre to inform employees and employers about their employment rights and responsibilities. Information is available in 23 languages.
• Delivering more education, outreach and partnership activities to better inform employees and employers across 23 languages about the ESA.
• Making available four videos on YouTube and on the Ministry website about complying with the ESA, how to file a claim, what to expect during an inspection, and illegal deductions from wages.
• Offering six interactive tools and calculators on its website.

Increasing Fairness for Employees and Businesses

In 2014-15, MOL intends to introduce legislative amendments that would provide more protection to the province’s vulnerable workforce while increasing fairness for both employees and businesses.

Proposed changes could include expansion of protection under the Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act, 2009 and the Employment Standards Act, 2000.

Investigating Complaints and Claims

The Ministry of Labour receives complaints from employees against employers for alleged contraventions of the ESA, 2000 such as unpaid wages or termination pay. Ministry staff investigate these complaints and attempt to recover monies owed to the employees. The Employment Standards program continues to make changes to improve and expedite the intake, investigation and decision-making processes for new claims to aid in early claims resolution, improve service delivery, and shorten wait times. All claims are investigated in the order that they are received.

The following table shows the historical trend of claims investigations received and completed by the Employment Standards program.

Claims Investigations

Note: 2010-11 and 2011-12 completed claims investigations reflect the work of additional temporary resources and funding (ending March 31, 2012) for the Employment Standards Task Force to eliminate the claims backlog.

2012-13 completed claims investigations reflect reduced number of staff working on claims as modernization strategy focuses on a more proactive approach to enforcing the ESA and timing of recruitment and training of new employment standards officers (ESOs) to replace retiring staff.

Employment standards claims are received at a central claims processing centre in Sault Ste. Marie. Claims can be filed online 24/7, by mail or by fax. The Provincial Claims Centre (PCC) processes over 15,000 employment standards claims per year and handles over 23,000 telephone calls and thousands of documents. Claims can also be faxed from ServiceOntario Centres. As part of the initial investigation process, claims are also investigated for possible early resolution at the PCC.

Enhanced Proactive Inspections

In addition to ESOs in the regional offices who investigate claims, the program also has officers who conduct proactive inspections of workplaces.

The use of proactive inspections not only educates and makes the employer aware of their employment standards responsibilities, but also helps identify and deter non-compliance before violations arise and complaints are filed, and makes MOL's presence known in high-risk sectors.

In 2013-14 a total of 30 ESOs were active in the field doing proactive inspections as part of the program’s Dedicated Enforcement Team (DET). A total of 2,727 inspections were completed, including 536 compliance check inspections.

In September 2013, in order to address the increasing inventory of employment standards claims and growing wait times for claims investigations, 15 ESOs were temporarily reassigned from the Dedicated Enforcement Team to claims investigations.

In 2013-14, MOL added a permanent investment of $3 million per year to the Dedicated Enforcement Team. The Dedicated Enforcement Team will increase to 50 ESOs in the field by the end of the 2014-15 fiscal year. The additional investment means that the team will conduct a minimum of 2,600 proactive inspections in 2014-15 and significantly increase the levels of unpaid wages recovered for higher numbers of vulnerable workers.

The team will continue to focus on repeat violators and sectors with a history of non-compliance and those that employ the most vulnerable workers. By preventing ESA violations, MOL can make a positive difference in the most vulnerable sectors.

Education, Outreach and Partnership

The Education, Outreach & Partnership strategy is a Ministry of Labour initiative designed to create an environment where employers and employees understand their rights and obligations under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA).

The program has developed six web-based tools which are available on the Ministry of Labour website at Ontario.ca/ESAtools. These tools are a key part of the supports and services available to help employers and employees be more self-reliant in resolving employer-employee issues and be more compliant with the ESA. The tools have been used more than 3.8 million times to date and 90% of satisfaction survey respondents say they find the tools to be helpful.

In 2013-14, the ES program increased its outreach efforts to three key stakeholder groups namely small business, young workers and newcomers by forming successful partnerships to carry out outreach activities and campaigns towards target stakeholders; promoting ES material by hosting links on stakeholder websites (i.e. YMCA, Youth Employment Services, etc.); participating in trade shows, expos and fairs; leveraging inter-ministerial partnerships to reach target groups (i.e. MEDTE, MCI); and identifying outreach opportunities within stakeholder structures (i.e. professional development workshops for employment and settlement counsellors).

The Employment Standards Information Centre is available to respond to general queries from employees and employers regarding their rights and responsibilities under the Employment Standards Act, 2000. The centre received 211,944 calls between April 1, 2013, and December 31, 2013, and provides information in 23 languages.

Labour Relations

Stable and Fair workplaces

The Ministry’s objective in the area of labour relations is to foster, support and maintain a balanced and stable labour relations environment throughout the Province. Activities in this program involve developing and implementing policies, strategies and services that promote fair, balanced and productive labour relations in Ontario workplaces. The key activity is the effective delivery of neutral dispute resolution and education services to the unionized sectors of the province.

Stable labour relations are critical to the economy as well as to the government’s ability to deliver results in its key services of health care, education and other public services. To this end, the Labour Relations Solutions Division (LRSD) is focusing on maintaining stability in the broader public sector. LRSD will closely monitor labour relations in the Education sector for the next round of bargaining, and assist in the redesign of that sector’s collective bargaining model.

As part of the effort to move more of the BPS into centralized collective bargaining models, the Division will also engage key players in Developmental Services and Children’s Aid Societies in discussions.

Dispute Resolution

The Dispute Resolution Services of the Ministry of Labour has a fundamental role in supporting a strong economy by fostering stable labour relations in Ontario. DRS provides a number of services to employers and unions including neutral, third party conciliation and mediation services for parties in collective bargaining; appointment of arbitrators in rights and interest arbitrations; providing up-to-date, accurate collective bargaining information for all industries and sectors to support collective bargaining; and, using a cost recovery model to provide grievance mediation services, workshops and training to employers and unions in "best practices" for collective bargaining and building effective relationships in the workplace.

DRS Mediators assist employers and unions in negotiating collective agreements under various labour related statutes, including the Labour Relations Act, 1995, Hospital Labour Disputes Arbitration Act, Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, Ambulance Services Collective Bargaining Act, 2001, Crown Employee Collective Bargaining Act, 1993, Colleges Collective Bargaining Act, 2008, Education Act and Toronto Transit Commission Labour Disputes Resolution Act, 2011.

This legislation relates to 12,100 collective bargaining relationships in Ontario covering approximately 1.7 million workers. Of those, DRS usually provides conciliation and mediation assistance in 2,500-3,000 collective bargaining relationships each year. In 2013-14 DRS managed more than 5,404 requests for conciliation and mediation assistance, mainly due to the high volume of construction sector collective bargaining situations. In recent years, DRS has reported settlements without a work disruption in more than 97% of these negotiations.

The program fosters productive workplace relationships throughout Ontario by making neutral information available to bargaining parties and providing assistance with collective bargaining negotiations that have reached an impasse. DRS provides employers, unions, members of the public and government with statistics, analysis and information on patterns and trends in collective bargaining. It also maintains copies onsite of over 12,100 collective agreements covering unionized employees in Ontario and all rights and interest arbitration awards, which are available to assist workplace parties in bargaining and administering their collective agreements.

The program continues to support other ministries, the private sector, municipalities and the education and health sectors, by providing mediation and arbitration services, and neutral collective bargaining information. The program is seeking to maintain a settlement rate of 95% or better of collective bargaining disputes resolved without a work stoppage and will continue to provide expert labour relations advice and neutral collective bargaining dispute resolution services to facilitate settlements without a work disruption.

Arbitration

DRS receives and processes more than 2,000 requests for the appointment of interest and rights arbitrators each year. Appointments of arbitrators are made from a list of individuals who are qualified to act under Ministerial appointment. This roster is maintained in association with the Labour-Management Advisory Committee (LMAC) which advises the Minister on matters pertaining to arbitration, thus ensuring that experienced and acceptable persons are available for appointments.

Collective Bargaining Outlook

Collective bargaining negotiations in Ontario in 2014 include significant employers and a vast number of employees. Each year approximately one third of all collective agreements come up for renegotiation. A total of 2,835 collective agreements covering 669,833 employees will be expiring in 2014-15. In addition, as of March 31, 2014 over 1,454 sets of negotiations covering 148,658 employees were in progress and require Dispute Resolution Services (DRS) assistance to finalize new collective agreements.

DRS will provide the required expertise to support bargaining in the education sector, with 472 school board agreements due to expire in August 2014, covering almost 275,130 employees (teachers and support staff). This includes the Toronto District School Board (43,404 employees), the York Region District School Board (14,064 employees), the Peel Region District School Board (19,115 employees) and the Thames Valley District School Board (10,038 employees).

Other public sector employers that will be renegotiating expired collective agreements are in the hospital sector (288 agreements covering 89,008 employees), the Crown in the Right of Ontario (unified and correctional Ontario Public Service Employees' Union (OPSEU) units with 29,043 and 5,422 employees respectively), and the Association of Management, Administrative, and Professional Crown Employees of Ontario (AMAPCEO) representing 10,680 employees. In the University sector, 60 agreements covering 33,910 employees are set to expire. In the College sector, the collective agreements covering 10,000 full-time academic staff and 8,000 full-time support staff both expire August 31, 2014.

Private sector agreements will account for 48% of all expiring agreements while almost fifty-two percent of expiring agreements are Broader Public Sector (BPS) agreements.

In 2014-15 the Labour Relations Solutions Division will engage in initiatives that include facilitating provincial discussion tables, laying the foundation for centralized bargaining approaches to various sectors such as Developmental Services and Children’s Aid Societies. Additionally, DRS will provide advice and mediation assistance to ensure a stable labour relations climate is maintained in preparation for the 2015 Pan American Games.

Promoting Best Practices

Part of the DRS mandate is to promote best practices in labour relations and dispute resolution. Best Practices are demonstrated through day to day dispute resolution and also through regional workshops that focus on effective collective bargaining and fostering trust in the labour-management relationship. DRS is viewed as a leader in best practices in labour relations not only in Ontario but also by its provincial counterparts.

Various program improvements in DRS in 2014-15 will help support the promotion of best practices. DRS will complete the final phase of new information technology systems in 2014-15 and will optimize its capabilities to improve data management and reporting to enhance client services. Improved data management and reporting capabilities will provide indicators that will identify areas in the community that could use more assistance in creating a better labour relations environment.

In addition to improvements on the information technology side, DRS will undertake a review of collective bargaining information services and identify/establish opportunities to provide effective information and research services to government and public and private sector bargaining parties.

Interactive Solutions

DRS's Interactive Solutions program is an initiative that assists participants in improving their relationship with their counterparts through relationship building programs, joint training and facilitation. Interactive Solutions offers innovative and responsive training and workshops in a variety of areas to parties in unionized workplaces, including committee effectiveness training, joint steward-supervisor training, interest-based bargaining training and facilitation, joint workplace problem-solving, effective union-management grievance administration, and repairing, restoring and improving union-management relationships.

Most of the programs delivered through Interactive Solutions are customized workshops and programs. Training builds problem-solving skills, not only for collective bargaining purposes, but also for the day-to-day administration of collective agreements. The objective is to improve relationships between workplace parties which will lead to a more stable labour relations environment with fewer or shorter workplace disputes. DRS will work to expand the Interactive Solutions programs to increase the delivery of innovative and responsive programs and workshops to assist more participants in improving their labour relations environment.

Transformation at the Ministry of Labour

The ministry is committed to sustaining the effective and efficient delivery of programs that protect workers’ health and safety and their employment rights, and support timely resolution of disputes to assure a competitive economy. To meet our commitments, the ministry must continue to adapt to changes in the environment it operates within – changes including the addition of prevention to the ministry’s mandate and broader trends like globalization and its effects on Ontario’s economy and the labour market, lower rates of unionization, and the growth of precarious work.

To respond to these and other challenges successfully, the ministry must continue to innovate by using data effectively, and by looking for ways to continuously improve results and service to the public. Staff from across the ministry have come together to bring their knowledge, experience and creative thinking to help identify approaches to meet the ministry’s biggest challenges.

Ministry Agencies

The ministry remains committed to supporting the government’s priorities of promoting jobs and economic growth in Ontario by contributing to a more competitive economy, poverty reduction and effective supports for the most vulnerable through its Occupational Health and Safety, Employment Rights and Responsibilities, and Labour Relations programs. The work of the ministry is supported by the following agencies:

Occupational Health and Safety

Office of the Worker Adviser:
The Office of the Worker Adviser (OWA) provides advisory, representation and educational services to non-unionized injured workers and survivors, and represents them before the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal. The OWA also provides support to non-unionized workers in Section 50 (Occupational Health and Safety Act) reprisal cases being heard at the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

Office of the Employer Adviser:
The Office of the Employer Adviser (OEA) provides advisory and educational services to all Ontario employers and representation services primarily to smaller employers, with fewer than 100 employees, with regard to workplace safety insurance matters before the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal. The OEA also provides support to employers with fewer than 50 employees in Section 50 (Occupational Health and Safety Act) reprisal cases being heard at the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

Employment Rights and Responsibilities

The Pay Equity Commission is comprised of the Pay Equity Office and the Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal.

Pay Equity Office:
The Pay Equity Office (PEO) administers and enforces Ontario’s Pay Equity Act, which is intended to eliminate systemic gender discrimination in the compensation of work primarily performed by women. To carry out this mandate, the PEO provides education and advice to employers, employees and bargaining agents in the public and private sectors in achieving and maintaining pay equity in their workplaces. The PEO also investigates complaints, monitors workplaces for compliance, attempts to effect settlements of pay equity issues between the parties and issues Orders for compliance where necessary.

Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal:
The Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal, a quasi-judicial tri-partite administrative tribunal, is responsible for adjudicating disputes arising under the Pay Equity Act.

Labour Relations

Ontario Labour Relations Board:
The Ontario Labour Relations Board is an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal which mediates and adjudicates a variety of employment and labour relations-related matters under various Ontario statutes, including appeals of decisions of employment standards officers and occupational health and safety inspectors.

Crown Employees Grievance Settlement Board:
The Crown Employees Grievance Settlement Board (GSB) is an independent quasi-judicial tribunal that mediates and adjudicates labour relations rights disputes of Ontario Crown Employees. The GSB also provides financial and administrative services to the Public Service Grievance Board, an agency of the Ministry of Government Services.

Other Agencies

Two other agencies, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal, report to the Minister of Labour but are not included in the ministry’s Expenditure Estimates, as they are not funded through the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Advisory Agencies

Prevention Council:
The Prevention Council provides advice to the Minister on the appointment of a Chief Prevention Officer and any other matter as determined by the Minister. The Prevention Council also provides advice to the Chief Prevention Officer on the prevention of workplace injuries and occupational diseases, for the purposes of the provincial occupational health and safety strategy and the annual report under section 22.3 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and on any significant proposed changes to the funding and delivery of services for the prevention of workplace injuries and occupational diseases.

Labour-Management Advisory Committee:
The Labour-Management Advisory Committee advises on grievance arbitration matters and about individuals qualified to act as grievance arbitrators under the Labour Relations Act, 1995.

Acts Administered by the Ministry of Labour: 2014-2015

• Ambulance Services Collective Bargaining Act, 2001
• Crown Employees Collective Bargaining Act, 1993
• Employment Standards Act, 2000
• Employment Protection of Foreign Nationals Act (Live-in Caregivers and Others), 2009
• Hospital Labour Disputes Arbitration Act
• Labour Relations Act, 1995
• Ministry of Labour Act
• Occupational Health and Safety Act
• Pay Equity Act
• Public Sector Dispute Resolution Act, 1997
• Public Sector Labour Relations Transition Act, 1997
• Regulatory Modernization Act, 2007
• Rights of Labour Act
• SARS Assistance and Recovery Strategy Act, 2003, Part I (SARS Emergency Leave)
• Toronto Transit Commission Labour Disputes Resolution Act, 2011
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997

The Ministry of Labour also has Responsibilities under the following Acts administered by other Ministries

Colleges Collective Bargaining Act, 2008

• Administered by the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. However, the Ministry of Labour has a role in the conciliation process, and the Ontario Labour Relations Board also has functions and responsibilities under this Act.

Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, Part IX (Firefighters: Employment and Labour Relations)

• The remainder of the Act is administered by the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services

Supplementary List

"Back To Work" Acts Administered by the Ministry of Labour

• Fairness for Parents and Employees Act (Teachers’ Withdrawal of Services), 1997
• Toronto Public Transit Service Resumption Act, 2008
• York University Labour Disputes Resolution Act, 2009

Ministry Financial Information

Ministry Allocation of 2014-15 Base Spending ($311.2M)

Chart values: Occupational Health and Safety: 71.3%. Employment Rights and Responsibilities: 13.0%, Labour Relations: 7.5%, Pay Equity Commission: 1.2% and Ministry Administration: 7.0%.*

*Ministry administration includes Main Office 22.9%; Financial and Administrative Services 14.6%; Organizational Effectiveness Branch 6.4%; Communications Services 15.9%; Legal Services 37.6%; Audit Services 1.2%; and Information Systems 1.5%.

Note: All Planned Expenditures include operating expense adjustments.

Detailed Financial Information

The ministry’s key activities are: Occupational Health and Safety Enforcement and Prevention, Employment Rights and Responsibilities and Labour Relations. In this context, the ministry provides advice and information to the government on labour and workplace issues; establishes and implements a provincial occupational health and safety strategy to ensure the alignment of health and safety activities across all system partners; designates, funds and maintains oversight over Health and Safety Associations; establishes standards for training programs, training providers, as well as training and other requirements for certification of joint health and safety committee members; develops policies; sets and enforces standards, legislation and regulations; carries out investigations; informs employers and workers about their workplace rights and responsibilities; ensures the provision of assistance in negotiating collective agreements and establishing arbitration boards; assists in building cooperative workplace relationships, and administers, interprets, and applies relevant labour legislation.

Highlights Of 2013-14 Achievements

• The Ministry of Labour (MOL) successfully implemented 18 of the 46 Occupational Health and Safety Expert Advisory Panel Recommendations to date, including 8 of the 11 priority recommendations. Key accomplishments include the establishment of mandatory basic occupational health and safety awareness training for all workers and supervisors responsible for frontline workers, and legislative amendments made to the Occupational Health and Safety Act to allow co-chairs of Joint Health and Safety Committees to submit written recommendations to an employer if an issue is unresolved following repeated attempts to reach consensus.
• The Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training Regulation (O. Reg 297/13) was announced, which requires basic occupational health and safety awareness training for workers and supervisors. The accessible training program suite developed by MOL is available at no cost in multiple formats and languages, and is the first of its kind in North America.
• After extensive consultations, the Prevention Office launched "Healthy and Safe Ontario Workplaces", the first province-wide integrated occupational health and safety strategy.
• Completed the transition of the $8.5 million Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) research program to the Ministry with the establishment of a new research advisory panel including employer, labour and academic representatives to provide advice to the Chief Prevention Officer, new funding arrangements in place for existing OHS research institutions and the delivery of a new Research Opportunities Program targeting strategic investments in new OHS research.
• MOL conducted 10 occupational health and safety blitzes to address concerns and raise awareness of workplace hazards.
• Health and Safety Inspectors carried out more than 54,300 field visits and issued over 96,100 orders (as of December 31, 2013).
• Conducted seven employment standards blitzes, including two provincial blitzes focused on vulnerable workers and retail services and five regional blitzes for the following sectors: restaurants, retirement homes, agricultural industries, seasonal work and tourism and gas stations.
• Added a permanent investment of $3 million per year to expand the Employment Standards Dedicated Enforcement Team (DET) to enhance proactive enforcement of the Employment Standards Act. In 2013-14, the ministry completed recruitment and training of additional employment standards officers for the DET.
• The DET conducted 2,727 proactive inspections including 536 compliance check inspections in 2013-14 with a continued focus on repeat violators and sectors with a history of non-compliance.
• The ministry continued to foster, support and maintain balanced and productive labour relations climate in Ontario by achieving a settlement rate of 98% (as of March 4, 2014) in providing neutral dispute resolution services to negotiate collective agreements without a work stoppage. The ministry continues to surpass its settlement target rate of 95%.

(Please see the Annual Report for additional details and achievements.)

Ministry of Labour: Organizational Chart 2014–15

Through the ministry’s key areas of occupational health and safety, employment rights and responsibilities, labour relations and internal administration, the ministry’s mandate is to set, communicate and enforce workplace standards while encouraging greater workplace self-reliance. A range of specialized agencies, boards and commissions assist the ministry in its work.

The following positions report to the Minister:

• Deputy Minister
• Associate Deputy Minister and Chief Prevention Officer

The following positions report to the Deputy Minister:

• Assistant Deputy Minister of Internal Administrative Service Division and Chief Administrative Officer
• Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations Division
• Assistant Deputy Minister, Labour Relations Solutions Division
• Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy
• Associate Deputy Minister and Chief Prevention Officer
• Director, Communications and Marketing Branch
• Executive Assistant to the Deputy Minister
• Labour & Transportation I&IT Cluster (Ministry of Transportation)
• Legal Services Branch (Ministry of the Attorney General)
• Internal Audit Services (Ministry of Finance)

The following positions report to the Chief Prevention Officer:

• Strategy & Integration Branch
• Training & Safety Programs Branch
• Stakeholder & Partner Relations Branch

The following positions report to the Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations:

• Employment Practices Branch
• Occupational Health & Safety Branch
• Central East Region
• Central West Region
• Northern Region
• Western Region
• Eastern Region

The following positions report to the Assistant Deputy Minister, Labour Relations Solutions Division:

• Dispute Resolutions Services

The following positions report to the Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy Division:

• Employment, Labour and Corporate Policy Branch
• Health and Safety Policy and Program Development Branch

The following positions report to the Chief Administrative Officer:

• Organizational Effectiveness Branch
• Finance & Administration Branch
• Business Innovation Office

While they operate at arms-length from the Ministry for their quasi-judicial functions. The following agency heads report to the Minister for operational and policy purposes, and most report to the Deputy Minister for administrative purposes.

• Ontario Labour Relations Board
• Grievance Settlement Board
• Pay Equity Office
• Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal
• Workplace Safety & Insurance Board
  Funded by the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board
• Workplace Safety & Insurance Appeals Tribunal
  Funded by the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board
• Office of the Employer Adviser
  Funded by the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board
• Office of the Worker Adviser
  Funded by the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board

Agencies, Boards and Commissions (ABCs)

Note 1

All costs of the Grievance Settlement Board are fully recovered from government Ministries as expenditure recoveries and from crown employers and trade unions as revenue:

Note 2

The amounts shown are gross amounts and are fully recoverable from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal report to the Minister of Labour but are not included in the Ministry’s Expenditure Estimates because they are not funded through the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Appendix: Annual Report 2013-14

In 2013-14, the Ministry of Labour supported the governmen’s priorities of Jobs and Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction and Effective Supports for the Most Vulnerable to create safe, fair, healthy and stable workplaces that increase productivity, protect vulnerable workers and create a competitive economy that attracts jobs and investment to Ontario.

Key areas of progress in 2013-14:

• The ministry launched a new integrated occupational health and safety strategy, Healthy and Safe Workplaces – a Strategy for Transforming Occupational Health and Safety which aims to transform Ontario’s occupational health and safety system and eliminate workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities.
• Through its focus on firms with a poor health and safety compliance record, the ministry’s Safe At Work Ontario strategy has successfully made workplaces safer and healthier.
• The Employment Standards program has worked to protect vulnerable workers and make workplaces fairer by making strategic investments that will significantly increase the number of proactive employment standards inspections conducted in the coming years.
• The ministry’s Labour Relations activities have supported stable and balanced labour relations to foster increased fairness and productivity in Ontario’s unionized workplaces through effective delivery of neutral dispute resolution and education services.

Prevention of Workplace Fatalities, Injuries and Illness

Ministry of Labour (MOL) has successfully implemented 18 of the 46 Occupational Health and Safety Expert Advisory Panel Recommendations to date, including 8 of the 11 priority recommendations. Key accomplishments include:

• The ability for co-chairs of workplace Joint Health and Safety Committees to submit written recommendations to an employer if an issue is unresolved following repeated attempts to reach consensus.
• The Health and Safety Associations provided industry health and safety training and consulting services across the province. The associations provide general, sector specific and hazard specific training to employers and workers.

Additional accomplishments made by MOL in advancing occupational health and safety in Ontario for 2013-14 include the following:

• In December 2013, the Prevention Office released the first province-wide integrated occupational health and safety strategy for Ontario entitled Healthy and Safe Workplaces – a Strategy for Transforming Occupational Health and Safety. The Strategy is a blueprint that will guide MOL’s health and safety efforts over the next five years, and will call on employee groups, businesses and system partners to work together to foster a culture where health and safety is at the centre of the workplace. The release of the Strategy is an important milestone for MOL in realizing its vision of healthy and safe Ontario workplaces where employees return home healthy, safe and sound every day. Additional information on the integrated occupational health and safety strategy can be found on MOL website.
• An Occupational Health and Safety Research Advisory Panel was established to provide advice and make recommendations to the CPO on research and research funding matters.
• The Research Opportunities Program (ROP) was successfully launched in September 2013. The ROP provides strategic research investments for research and knowledge translation/exchange projects focusing on occupational health and safety system priorities.
• The Prevention Grants program is primarily aimed at supporting activities that address the province’s key occupational health and safety priorities: small business; vulnerable workers, and an integrated occupational health and safety delivery system for Ontario. In 2013-14, MOL supported nine health, safety education and awareness initiatives focused on youth, families and by building partnerships with the prevention community and leveraging existing capacity and resources within the OHS system.
• Enhanced oversight and accountability of Health and Safety Associations (HSAs) by strengthening the terms of transfer payment agreements and meeting of stated public policy objectives. To this end, the MOL has ensured that performance outcomes and allocation of resources outlined in transfer payment agreements align with Ontario’s health and safety strategic priorities. In addition, MOL has applied broader public sector (BPS) directives and guidelines (e.g., BPS directives on compensation, procurement and expenses) to improve accountability and transparency in the HSA system.
• On November 15, 2013 the Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training Regulation (O. Reg 297/13) was announced, which requires basic occupational health and safety awareness training for workers and supervisors. The regulation comes into force on July 1, 2014. An accompanying accessible training program suite is available at no cost in multiple formats and languages. The regulation sets out the minimum content of both the worker and supervisor awareness training programs including instruction on the rights and/or duties of workers, supervisors and employers under the OHSA, the role of joint health and safety committees and health and safety representatives, and common workplace hazards and occupational illnesses. For further information on the Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training Regulation.
• The ministry is developing a set of free, voluntary tools designed to help employers assess whether their existing occupational health and safety awareness training program meets the minimum requirements of the regulation.
• The Working at Heights Training Program Standard was released on December 19, 2013 as the first training standard for high hazard activities in the workplace. Coupled with the Working at Heights Training Provider Standard and Regulatory Proposal (currently under consultation), if approved, would form the basis for mandatory working at heights training in Ontario for construction, a key recommendation of the Expert Advisory Panel.
• Full transition of program administration for existing joint health and safety committee certification training transitioned from the WSIB to the Prevention Office on April 1, 2013 (includes approving programs, overseeing program delivery by training providers, certifying successful learning participants and administering database of certified members).
• A Social Awareness Campaign has been developed to achieve the long-term goal of moving Ontarians towards a culture of prevention. A key strategy of the Campaign is to imbed prevention values and to create awareness about new norms.
• The establishment of Small Business and Vulnerable Worker Task Groups, with work underway to provide advice on outreach strategies to improve the system’s understanding of the occupational health and safety needs of vulnerable workers and small businesses.
• MOL is supporting the Ontario Government’s Stepping Up – A Strategic Framework to Help Ontario’s Youth Succeed initiative. Through this initiative, MOL is collaborating with 17 other ministries to improve outcomes for vulnerable youth, including occupational health and safety outcomes. Prevention messages will be embedded in youth programs across the Government of Ontario and bring occupational health and safety to the forefront of program planning for youth aged 12-25. In partnership with the Ministry of Education, work is underway to support improved safety in elementary schools, expand current levels of safety education for secondary school students and to continue support for teachers in delivering safety education in their classrooms.
• Launched "It’s Your Job…", a workplace safety video contest for secondary school students to both raise awareness and to allow youth to showcase their talent by producing videos to be used in our own young worker outreach campaigns.
• A one-year Mining Health, Safety and Prevention Review was launched in January 2014 to conduct a collaborative review on a wide range of areas of relevance to the health and safety of miners. Consultations with mining sector stakeholders have begun to find better ways of bringing mine workers home safely at the end of every shift, while ensuring a productive and modern mining industry across Ontario.

In 2014-15, the ministry will be shifting to new, improved performance indicators that are consistent system-wide, developed through consultation between the MOL and system partners. Updating HSA performance measures aligns with Prevention Office’s drive for continuous improvement in performance measurement.

Making Workplaces Safer and Healthier

In 2013-14, the ministry achieved the following in support of the Safe At Work Ontario strategy:

• MOL conducted 10 blitzes across numerous sectors to address concerns and raise awareness of occupational health and safety hazards which included:

  Blitzes Completed across Sectors

  Blitz Focus	Sector	Date
  New and Young Workers	Industrial Health Care	May – August 2013
  Excavation	Construction	May 2013
  Internal Responsibility System	Mining	July – August 2013
  Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)	Health Care	September – October 2013
  Fall Hazards	Construction	September – October 2013
  Ground Control	Mining	October – November 2013
  Recycling and Waste Management	Industrial Health Care	November – December 2013
  Locking and Tagging in Mine Hoisting Plants	Mining	January – February 2014
  Construction in Active Workplaces	Construction Industrial	January 2014
  Warehousing	Industrial	February – March 2014

• Health and Safety Inspectors carried out more than 54,300 field visits and issued over 96,100 orders (as of December 31, 2013).
• Facilitated 13 Safe At Work Ontario Consultations across the province to obtain feedback and input from stakeholders on the OHS enforcement strategy for 2014-15.
• Facilitated consultations with stakeholders through Section 21 Advisory Committees to advise the Minister of Labour on specialized occupational health and safety matters including: mining, construction, electrical/utility sectors, fire services, emergency management services, police services, film and television, and as well as a Technical Advisory Committee for farming.
• A roundtable group brought together employer and labour representatives from a range of organizations in sectors where traumatic events are more likely: transit services, police services, nursing, fire services, and emergency medical services. A report is being produced that includes a broad range of ideas for addressing issues of work-related traumatic mental stress, and also proposes several follow-up actions.
• The Construction Health and Safety Program made the following achievements in advancing occupational health and safety in Ontario:
  • Provided input into technical resources such as Canadian Standards Association standards on protective headwear, high visibility garments and ladders.
  • Provided input into the development and proposal of revisions for suspended access equipment and tower crane regulations.
  • Completed and implemented a memorandum of understanding with the Ontario College of Trade (OCOT) to transition enforcement responsibilities to the OCOT under the Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act. Amendments were made to allow MOL to continue to issue orders and write tickets with associated fines to enforce certain compulsory trades certification for a one year period after the Ontario College of Trades became fully operational on April 8, 2013. After April 8, 2014, the enforcement of trades certification falls generally under the responsibility of the Ontario College of Trades.
  • Other regulatory amendments allow the MOL to continue to enforce trades certification where prescribed in sectors (construction, mining, health care and farming), regulations, through written orders and/or prosecution.
  • Worked collaboratively with Health and Safety Associations to ensure stakeholders were aware of the ministry’s blitzes and other occupational health and safety initiatives.
  • Collaborated with industry stakeholder working group in the construction sector to develop proposed changes to construction regulation for tower cranes and ventilation.
  • MOL conducted stakeholder consultations to amend the diving regulation to address changes in technology and work practices and to align with relevant CSA standards. The amendments came into force on March 1, 2014.
• The Industrial Construction Health and Safety Program made the following achievements in advancing occupational health and safety in Ontario:
  • Collaborated with key stakeholders under the Open for Business initiative to advance occupational health and safety in Ontario.
  • In collaboration with the Office of the Fire Marshal, an Outreach Strategy was developed and jointly presented to fire service leaders and municipal stakeholders across the province on perspectives on compliance obligations for municipal fire services to assist officials in further understanding the legislated responsibilities with respect to municipal fire services as mandated by the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997.
  • Partnered with the Ministry of Education and the HSAs to raise the awareness of health and safety in Ontario schools.
  • Worked collaboratively with HSAs to ensure stakeholders were aware of the ministry’s blitzes and other occupational health and safety initiatives.
  • Contributed to the Roundtable for Elliott Lake Inquiry to address roles and responsibilities of inspectors and how the OHSA relates to the building code.
• The Mining Construction Health and Safety Program made the following achievements in advancing occupational health and safety in Ontario:
  • The Mining Health and Safety Program collaborated with the Workplace Safety North HSA in the development of webinars to support 2013-14 blitzes.
  • Worked closely with health and safety system partners including Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and Workplace Safety North to focus on improving workplace health and safety practices in Ontario mining workplaces.
  • Developed and launched a new "Mobile Equipment in Underground Mines" video, posted on the MOL website.
  • Completed production of a second online video to highlight ground control activities of an underground mining site.
• The Mining Health and Safety Program collaborated with the Workplace Safety North HSA in the development of webinars to support 2013-14 blitzes.
  • Worked closely with health and safety system partners including Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and Workplace Safety North to focus on improving workplace health and safety practices in Ontario mining workplaces.
  • Developed and launched a new "Mobile Equipment in Underground Mines" video, posted on the MOL website.
  • Completed production of a second online video to highlight ground control activities of an underground mining site.
• The Health Care Health and Safety Program/Occupational Medicine Unit (HC/OMU) made the following achievements in advancing occupational health and safety in Ontario:
  • Facilitated and participated in various committees under the direction of the Chief Physician including:
    • Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee
    • Ontario Medical Association/Ontario Hospital Association committee on communicable diseases surveillance protocols
    • Public Services Health and Safety Association Advisory Council
    • Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) Emergency Management Committee
    • Health Care Committee (Section 21 Advisory Committee)
  • Partnered with MOHLTC to update the 2013-14 Seasonal Influenza Ontario Blueprint for Action.
  • Liaised with MOHLTC, Public Health Ontario and other health organizations to plan strategies in response to emergent situations such as swine influenza, avian influenza and novel Coronavirus. The unit also worked in partnership with MOHLTC in the development of healthcare sector messaging for the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus.
  • Participated in Cancer Care Ontario’s Expert Review Panel to review revised guidelines on the safe handling of cytotoxics.
  • Participated in Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committees on infectious and communicable disease and in the Canadian Standards Association’s Welding Technical Advisory Group.
  • Provided professional medical advice on changes to Designated Substances Regulation codes for medical surveillance and the medical examination of divers.
• The Specialized Professional Services team supported occupational health and safety in Ontario by providing technical input to numerous committees and initiatives with the following achievements:
  • Developed and implemented the Health Care Musculoskeletal Blitz, which included the delivery of a webinar with Public Services Health & Safety Association to key sector stakeholder groups.
  • Provided input into technical standards such as Canadian Safety Association standards on a number of fronts including eye and face protectors, hearing conservation management, nanotechnologies and the protection of first responders from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear events.
  • Conducted a Noise Induced Hearing Loss initiative to identify and inspect workplaces where employees may be subject to hearing-loss.
  • Led a Workplace Related Asthma initiative to identify and inspect workplaces where employees may be at-risk of asthma.
  • The Radiation Protection Service unit provided technical analyses and expertise in support of the Ontario Nuclear Reactor Surveillance Program.
  • The Radiation Protection Field Services reviewed 191 x-ray registrations and 218 x-ray installations. Additionally, 440 field visits to workplaces in possession of x-ray sources or other radiation hazards were conducted.
  • Provided guidance and support to the Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders Advisory Committee.

Protecting Vulnerable Workers and Making Workplaces Fairer

In 2013-14, the ministry enhanced its service delivery, expanded enforcement activities and supported the government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy with the following achievements:

• Added a permanent investment of $3 million per year to expand its Dedicated Enforcement Team (DET) to enhance proactive enforcement of the Employment Standards Act. In 2013-14, the ministry completed recruitment and training of additional Employment Standards Officers for the DET.
• The government appointed a Minimum Wage Advisory Panel in July 2013 to provide recommendations to the Minister of Labour on Ontario’s minimum wage policy. The Panel’s report, released publically in January 2014, is available on the Ministry of Labour website. Based on the recommendations of the Panel, the regulation to set the minimum wage was amended to increase the rate from $10.25 to $11 effective June 1^st, 2014. Also, Bill 165 (the Fair Minimum Wage Act, 2014) was introduced on February 25, 2014 to index future increases to the minimum wage to changes in the Ontario Consumer Price Index.
• Conducted seven employment standards blitzes, including two provincial blitzes focused on vulnerable workers and retail services and five regional blitzes for the following sectors: restaurants, retirement homes, agricultural industries, seasonal work and tourism, and gas stations.
• Developed a compliance strategy to improve delivery of proactive inspections, education, outreach and partnership activities to increase awareness of the Employment Standards Act.
• The Dedicated Enforcement Team conducted 2,727 proactive inspections, including 536 compliance check inspections in 2013-14 with a continued focus on repeat violators and sectors with a history of non-compliance.

Additionally, the ministry promoted compliance with the Employment Standards Act with online and print resources by:

• Developing an animated video entitled "Illegal Deductions from Wages." The video was well received by stakeholders, and won Gold at the 2014 AVA Digitals Awards in the category "Video for Web/Government." The AVADA is an international competition that recognizes excellence in digital communication.
• Launching a new "Tools Tip Sheet" featuring a series of easy-to-remember web addresses to refer readers to online tools, calculators and other key resources. Also re-launched an updated "What Businesses Need to Know" brochure. Both products have been widely distributed and well received by stakeholders.
• Launching two downloadable presentations on hours of work and overtime and public holidays for the temporary help agency sector, as part of a commitment to the Association of Canadian Search, Employment & Staffing Services to enhance their compliance with the ESA.
• Developing three new tip sheets to raise awareness of employment standards issues targeted towards young workers, parents of young workers and employers of young workers.
• Continuing to offer six web-based tools on the MOL website to help employers and employees become more self-reliant in resolving employer-employee issues. As of March 31, 2014 these tools were used more than 3.8 million times and 90% of satisfaction survey respondents indicated that they found the tools helpful.
• Building and completing a pilot run of the Compliance Check Tool (CCT) - an online self-audit tool designed to enhance the reach of the proactive compliance strategy. The CCT helps employers, especially small businesses, become compliant with the Employment Standards Act while also allowing the ministry to assess compliance with the Act.

Creating and maintaining a stable labour relations environment

The ministry continued to foster, support and maintain a balanced and productive labour relations climate in Ontario by:

• Achieving a settlement rate of 98% (as of March 4, 2014) in providing neutral dispute resolution services to negotiate collective agreements without a work stoppage. The ministry continues to surpass its settlement target rate of 95%.

  Settlements Without Strike or Lockout

  Year	Actual	Commitment
  2009-2010	97.5	95
  2010-2011	98.5	95
  2011-2012	98.9	95
  2012-2013	97.4	95
  2013-2014 (as of March 4, 2014)	98	95

• Working with the broader public service and diverse sectors across the province during challenging economic times in regard to labour relations best practices.
• Supporting other ministries, the private sector, municipalities and the education and health sectors by providing mediation and arbitration services, neutral collective bargaining information, and by assisting parties through its Interactive Solutions programs;
  • As part of the Interactive Solution program, DRS provided customized programs to 11 employers and 11 unions, delivering a presentation module which became part of a Labour Relations Certificate Program.
  • Conducted two sessions of a customized program for Ontario Public Service management through the Provincial Interministerial Council.
  • A new regional conference, "Building and Maintaining the High-Trust Labour-Management Relationship" was developed and sold-out in Niagara Falls, London and Thunder Bay.
• Administration of the 2013-14 Arbitrator Development Program, which is expected to result in the addition of up to eleven new arbitrators to the Minister’s approved list of grievance arbitrators.
• Dispute Resolution Services (DRS) played a leadership role in the development and delivery of the first National Mediator Advanced Workshop.
• DRS assisted parties in over 62 grievance mediations ranging from mediation of a single grievance to multiple grievances on a cost recovery basis.
• More than 3,470 collective agreements expired in 2013-14 (up from 2,500 in 2012-13), mostly concentrated in the construction industry, educational services, healthcare, the university sector, municipal sector, community services and public administration.
• In 2013-14, DRS managed over 2,600 new requests for arbitration assistance and closed or completed over 4,600 conciliation and mediation files.