LABOUR REFORMS PRIOR TO AN ELECTION: WHAT A SHOCKER

On May 16/17 the Waterloo Region Record carried an opinon/article by Martin Regg Cohn titled "Province plans to boost mimimum wage, sweeping labour reforms". Labour Minister Kevin Flynn is spearheading the legislation after a two year review. Both public hearings and private lobbying have shown the harsh divide between labour and the corporate sectoe. Organized labour want legislation allowing easier unionization of workers whereas business are against higher minimum wages and anything whatsoever boosting unionization. In my mind the Liberals are only willing to risk the corporate anger if they are convinced they can capture mass votes by helping out both part time employees as well as contract workers.

Essentially Ontario's economy has been debased with so many second class workers with low wages, minimal if any benefits, zero job security and little or no ability to know their upcoming work schedules until the last moment. It has been uncaring employers' dreams for just such a scenario for decades.

For me the best part of this article is the very last sentence which goes like this: "He (Flynn) notes that many business owners who demand flexibility to hire and fire part-timers while paying them less admit to personal frustration that their grown children live at home because they can't find steady work.".