44th Parliament223Government response tabledAugust 17, 2022e-3914e-3914 (Justice)FrankSaptelAlexandreBoulericeRosemont—La Petite-PatrieNDPQCMarch 11, 2022, at 2:48 p.m. (EDT)May 10, 2022, at 2:48 p.m. (EDT)May 17, 2022August 17, 2022May 12, 2022Petition to the <Addressee type="4" affiliationId="278925" mp-riding-display="1">Minister of Labour</Addressee>Whereas:The intent of the federal government in amending the Canada Labour Code and modernizing labour standards was to address long standing discrepancies in labour legislation with the goal of improving working conditions for Canadians and bringing labour law in line with realities of changing labour markets;In line with this goal, one area of federal labour law that was addressed were wages of part-time, casual, temporary and seasonal workers whose hourly wages were less than that of full-time workers doing the same work;The legislation received Royal Assent in 2018, however, a date of effect was not given, making the legislation impossible to enforce in workplaces;The practice of paying different wages based on employment status is exploitative and discriminatory, and will only end with enforceable legislation; Without legislative protections, employers will continue to use this loophole to exploit workers;Without a date of effect, years of lobbying efforts will be erased, setting Canadian workers back decades, which from our perspective, runs counter to the intent of modernizing the Canada Labour Code; andThe labour market has changed to the extent that non-traditional employment relationships are on the rise, making this piece of legislation essential in protecting workers and ensuring they earn equal wages for doing the same work as those who hold full-time employment.We, the undersigned, members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, call upon the Minister of Labour to assign a date of effect for legislation relating to wages and equal treatment of workers regardless of their employment status.
Response by the Minister of LabourSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): TERRY SHEEHANThe Government of Canada believes strongly in equal pay for work of equal value and the fair treatment of all workers in the workplace, regardless of their employment status. As part of the Budget Implementation Act, 2018 No. 2 (BIA 2018), amendments were adopted to the Canada Labour Code (the Code) in order to require employers to provide equal pay to employees performing similar work regardless of their employment status. The adopted amendments also confer authority to the Governor-in-Council to make regulations modifying requirements, exempting classes of employees, and defining terms regarding equal treatment provisions (see Section 182.4 of the Code, not yet in force). These changes are not yet in force because regulations are currently being developed to support these changes and ensure equal treatment and compensation for employees, including those in precarious work. In particular, regulations are required to provide additional clarity to terms used in the legislation.A discussion paper pertaining to several amendments to Part III of the Code, including equal treatment, was shared in June 2019 with over 600 federally regulated stakeholders, including employers and employer associations as well as unions and employee representatives. Also, Indigenous partners, community organizations, and think tanks were consulted. The consultation was broad in scope, seeking feedback on a variety of Code amendments passed in the BIA 2018 that aimed at improving protections for employees, particularly those in precarious work, while supporting productive workplaces.The Labour Program launched additional consultations, on December 21, 2021, through a broader online consultation on a number of regulatory initiatives, including equal treatment provisions, under Part II (Occupational Health and Safety) and Part III (Labour Standards) of the Code.  Given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Canada’s changing labour market, the consultations provided an opportunity to seek up-to-date input from stakeholders. The consultations ended on February 21, 2022 and the Labour Program received written submissions from employer associations in federally-regulated industries, employee associations, unions, and community organizations.Departmental officials are currently reviewing the submissions from the 2021-2022 consultations and working to incorporate feedback for the pre-publication of the proposed regulations in Part I of the Canada Gazette (CGI). The timeframe for pre-publication of the proposed regulations in CGI has yet to be determined, as stated in the Labour Program Regulatory Plan: 2022-2024. Any update on the timing of pre-publication will be made available on the Labour Program's website as soon as it becomes available.
DiscriminationIncome and wagesLabour codeLegislationWorkers
44th Parliament223Government response tabledApril 25, 2022e-3784e-3784 (Civil and human rights)KimGallowayGeraldSorokaYellowheadConservativeABJanuary 24, 2022, at 12:10 p.m. (EDT)February 23, 2022, at 12:10 p.m. (EDT)March 4, 2022April 25, 2022February 28, 2022Petition to the <Addressee type="1" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">House of Commons</Addressee>Whereas:Canada Post, a Crown Corporation, implemented the mandatory vaccination program, putting many Canadians on leave without pay;Choice in medical decisions is a private and personal decision to each Canadian;This mandate violates the Canadian Charter of Rights Section 2 (a) Everyone has the fundamental right to freedom of conscience;This mandate violates the Canadian Charter of Rights Section 2 (b) Everyone has the fundamental right to freedom of thought, belief, opinion, and expression;This mandate violates the Canadian Charter of Rights Section 6 (2) Every citizen of Canada and every person who has the status of a permanent resident of Canada has the right (a) to move to and take up residence in any province; and (b) to pursue the gaining of a livelihood in any province;The CPAA and CUPW, representing over 60,000 employees, challenged this mandate and filed grievances against the Canada Post in November 2021, with no change in the mandate; andThe Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms should be sacred to our government.We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to request Canada Post to: 1. Rescind the mandated vaccination practice; and2. Allow all employees affected by the mandatory vaccination practice to return to work without prejudice.
Response by the Minister of Public Services and ProcurementSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Anthony HousefatherIn response to COVID-19, Canada Post implemented a Mandatory Vaccination Practice (the Practice) as one of many measures put in place to protect the health and safety of its employees and ensure the continuity of postal service for all Canadians. The Practice, which mirrors the policy governing federal public servants, required all employees actively at work to be in full compliance by November 12, 2021.  Full compliance requires employees be fully vaccinated, defined as: having received the full course of a vaccine series authorized by Health Canada, with guidelines established by the National Advisory Committee on Immunizations (NACI); and having completed a 14-day immunization period after the final dose in the series. The definition of fully vaccinated is informed by and will continue to reflect the recommendations of NACI.Individuals who sought an exemption from vaccination on human rights (including medical) grounds were advised to submit an accommodation request for consideration. While accommodation requests and supporting documentation were being reviewed by national experts in medical or other human rights, individuals were provided testing kits to conduct regular testing when required to be at the workplace.All those approved for exemptions are obligated to continue regular testing as a means to reduce the risk of workplace transmission. Similarly, individuals who were partially vaccinated and in the process of becoming fully vaccinated to comply with the Practice, were required to undergo regular testing to reduce the risk of workplace transmission.Individuals who choose not to comply with the requirements to be fully vaccinated are provided with unpaid leave until they choose to be vaccinated, or until the Practice is no longer in place. Canada Post respects and honours its obligation to maintain a safe workplace for all employees, customers, and visitors through the mandatory vaccination practice. It is meeting its obligations to provide accommodation under human rights requirements. Canada Post continues to assess the need for this measure, leveraging expert advice from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada and other trusted health authorities, to determine the ongoing need for the Mandatory Vaccination Practice.
Canada Post CorporationImmunizationWorkers