Ontario’s Business Advocate Holds Government to its Commitment to Repeal Bill 148

(Toronto, October 2, 2018) – Today, Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) released the following statement in response to Premier Ford’s message that his government is in the process of reviewing Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017 in its entirety.

“As the voice of our 60,000 members in 135 communities across the province, our position has always been clear: Bill 148 was too much, too fast. We hold the Premier at his word to make Ontario open for business and reverse Bill 148.

“We have been persistently urging the government to take immediate action and repeal Bill 148 due to the compounding labour reforms which come at too high a cost to the economy and workers. The very real unintended consequences have forced our members to decrease product offerings and increase the price of products being sold, hire fewer employees, reduce services and hours of operation, cut back on employee benefits, and halt capital investment – all in an effort to stay afloat.

“The OCC supports the minimum wage remaining at $14 an hour. We call on the government to appropriately consult the Ontario business community and conduct a comprehensive economic impact analysis for any future proposed changes to employment legislation.”

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For more information please contact:
Ceara Copps – Edwards
Communications Advisor
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
647-243-3562
cearacoppsedwards@occ.ca

About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
For more than a century, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been the independent, non-partisan voice of Ontario business. The OCC’s mission is to support economic growth in Ontario by defending business priorities at Queen’s Park on behalf of its network’s diverse 60,000 members.