On March 25, 2010, the Ontario Government tabled Bill 16, Creating the Foundation for Jobs and Growth Act, 2010, omnibus legislation that will amend various statutes to give effect to initiatives outlined in its 2010 Budget – Open Ontario: Ontario’s Plan for Jobs and Growth (the “Budget”). This FTR Now provides a summary of those…
Business Operation: Ontario
School Board Update – Provincial Interest Regulation Now In Effect
Overview of the PIR The Ministry of Education filed its long-awaited Provincial Interest Regulation (PIR) on February 26, 2010 and the PIR is now in effect. It is intended to strengthen the accountability of school boards for student achievement and well-being. Most notably, the PIR allows the Minister of Education to intervene in the affairs…
2010 Winter Issue
LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS Labour law and the freedom of association FOCUS ON CONSTRUCTION The long reach of construction A good constitution PROFILE Hicks Morley lawyers lead the class Download PDF
School Board Update – Bill 242, The Full Day Early Learning Statute Law Amendment Act: The Legal Framework for the Early Learning Program
In our January 12, 2010 School Board Client Update, we discussed the Early Learning Program (ELP), which is the governments plan to implement full day early learning for four- and five-year-olds in Ontario. On February 17, 2010, the government introduced Bill 242, the Full-Day Early Learning Statute Law Amendment Act, 2010, which amends provisions of…
School Board Update – Ontario’s 2010 Early Learning Program: Bracing for the Fallout
When was the last time your Board was involved in the legal “ins and outs” of a hotly contested certification drive before the Ontario Labour Relations Board? Ontario’s newly announced Early Learning Program could well provide you with an opportunity in the coming year. In this School Board Update, we discuss the ramifications and new…
Municipalities Exposed To Construction Collective Agreements
In a recent decision, the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) held that key non-construction employer provisions of the Ontario Labour Relations Act, 1995 (the Act) were unconstitutional. In this FTR Now, we discuss how the decision could have an impact on the ability of municipalities to tender construction work. BACKGROUND The construction industry labour relations…
Ontario Introduces Draft Pension Reform Legislation
INTRODUCTION Following on the heels of the Report of the Ontario Expert Commission on Pensions (“OECP”), the Ontario Government released draft pension reform legislation on December 9, 2009. Bill 236, Pension Benefits Amendment Act, 2009 (“Bill 236”) marks the beginning of what the Government is calling a multi-stage pension reform process to modernize Ontarios pension…
Ontario Government Passes Workplace Violence Legislation
On December 9, 2009, the Ontario Legislature passed Bill 168, the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act (Violence and Harassment in the Workplace), 2009. Bill 168 will come into effect on June 15, 2010. Bill 168, which requires employers to develop policies to address workplace violence and harassment and to assess the risk of violence…
Ontario Releases New Pension Reform Legislation
Following swiftly on the heels of the Report of the Expert Commission on Pensions, the Ontario Government released draft pension reform legislation on December 9, 2009. The draft legislation marks the beginning of what the Government is calling a multi-stage pension reform process to modernize Ontario’s pension system. The legislation covers an array of issues,…
School Boards Exposed To Construction Collective Agreements
In a recent decision, the Ontario Labour Relations Board (“OLRB”) held that key non-construction employer provisions of the Ontario Labour Relations Act, 1995 (the “Act”) were unconstitutional. In this FTR Now, we discuss how the decision could have an impact on school boards’ ability to tender construction work. Background The construction industry labour relations regime…