Temp agency workers and the Workers’ Action Centre (WAC) have been pushing for years for legislative changes that will bring fairness for temp agency workers. WAC and community allies have sent a strong message that temp agency workers need the same rights as other workers and protection against abuses.

Our campaign for fairness for temp agency workers has had an impact! The new law is a good start in improving protection for temp agency workers. When it comes into effect in 6 months, the new legislation will:

• End fees charged to workers by temporary assignment agencies
• Reduce bariers to permanent work for temp agency workers
  
• Ensure Public Holiday Pay or all temp agency workers – whether on assignment or laid-off from assignment
  
• Require agencies to give workers information about assignments and employment standards rights
  
• Ensure temp agency workers get the same termination and severance protections as other workers
• Require that both the agency and client company are legally responsible when a worker is penalized for trying to enforce their rights.

Many thanks to the hundreds of community members, labour unions, immigrant organizations and allies who organized town halls in their communities and distributed postcards and information about Bill 139 and the changes needed for workers. Through your support we were able to win some key amendments to Bill 139 such as ensuring equal access to termination and severance rights.

The fight for fairness for workers must continue! Not every change we were fighting for made it into the law. Workers need equal pay and working conditions regardless of being a temp agency worker, on contract or working on our own. Join the Workers' Action Centre as we use this important step forward to organize for more improvements for workers!

Stay tuned for more details on educational materials you can use in your community on the new protections for temp workers.

Media coverage of the new bill:
Ontario Passes Bill Protecting Temp Workers - Toronto Star, May 5, 2009
Ontario Unviels New Rights for Temp Workers - Toronto Star December 10th, 2008
Proposed Law Would Help Ontario Temp Workers Gain Full-time Status - CBC December 9th 2008

ONTARIO BUDGET ANNOUNCEMENT MARCH 26, 2009     Budget delivers half of the promised $10 million to hire new Employment Standards officers
On December 4, 2008 the government announced as part of its Poverty Reduction Strategy that it will improve enforcement of employment standards by investing $10 million annually to hire employment standards officers. However, it has since announced that only $4.5 million will go to the Ministry of Labour to hire only 40 or so enforcement officers. The 2009 budget goes only halfway to ensuring more workers will have their wages and basic rights protected. We will be watching to ensure that the $4.5 million announced goes into hiring new officers who will be put to work right away enforcing basic standards in the workplace. The Workers' Action Centre is committed to pushing for the full $10 million in next year's budget. Keep this promise March 10, 2009, TheStar.com Editorial Opinion Recognizing the need to better protect Ontario's most vulnerable workers, Premier Dalton McGuinty's government has promised $10 million to hire new inspectors to enforce the Employment Standards Act. Workers' advocates, however, fear the government may already be having second thoughts and worry that funding for this hiring will not be in the provincial budget, to be released later this month. more>> Ontario budget must step up for workers March 10, 2009,TheStar.com , Opinion – Deena Ladd With the pressures of an economic downturn, many vulnerable workers will think twice about quitting a bad job, leaving them at the mercy of employers who may be inclined to break the rules to weather the storm. Now is not the time to walk away from a commitment to increase the enforcement of basic labour standards. more>> PUBLIC HOLIDAY PAY FOR ALL TEMP WORKERS!! As of January 2, 2009, all temp workers have the right to Public Holiday Pay. Employers can no longer deny public holiday benefits to workers by saying they are “elect to work”. It’s not just temp agency workers that benefit. Many other workers, like home care workers (personal support workers), will now get public holiday pay as a result of the removal of the outdated “elect to work” rule. Help spread the word by downloading a copy of our Public Holiday Pay poster and factsheet. ARE YOU BEING PAID PUBLIC HOLIDAY PAY? Let us know – click here to go to our online report! (All calls and online reports are confidential) MINIMUM WAGE RISES TO $9.50/hour As of March 31st, 2009 the minimum wage in Ontario goes up to $9.50 an hour. Help spread the word by distributing our Minimum Wage poster. Workers have been pushing the provincial government to raise the minimum wage to something we can survive on. Even with the raise to $9.50, workers are still earning about $3000 below the poverty line. We need $10.25 per hour now, and a minimum wage that increases each year with the cost of living.