Maintain High Standards of Qualification
We are further opposed to the provision in Bill 183 that would bestow the status of “journeyperson” onto a person who does not have a Certificate of Qualification but who practices as such in a voluntary trade (Bill 183, Section 60, sub-section 6, p.34), especially since this section is intended to apply to the ratio requirements in the voluntary trades.
Protect the Health and Safety of Workers and the Public
High workplace health and safety standards not only protect workers on the job, but also ensure that the public interest is protected. Promoting Health and Safety for workers and the public should be a key function of any trades governance structure, and the Ontario Federation of Labour recommends that section 11 of Bill 183 be amended to include a sub-section that reads: “To promote workplace health and safety to further protect workers and the public.”
Distinguish Between Authentic Trades & Licensed Occupations
Despite these serious shortcomings, it is not too late to amend Bill 183 to mitigate the damage inflicted on Ontario’s trades and apprenticeship system by the former Conservative government. One crucial step in this direction would be to clearly distinguish between trades and occupations, recognize the distinctiveness of their respective training requirements, and provide designated and adequate funding to both apprenticeship programs (for authentic trades) and occupational training (for licensed occupations). This would assure high quality and