Ontario set to introduce 'historic' new legislation to give gig workers $15 minimum wage
CBC
The Ontario government is set to introduce what it says is first-of-its-kind legislation that would extend the province's minimum wage to gig workers.
The Digital Platform Workers' Rights Act is aimed at adding protection for app-based workers like Uber and Lyft drivers, Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton says.
"It's important that we have a foundational set of rights for these workers," McNaughton said in an interview with CBC News on Sunday, calling the legislation "historic."
"I want workers to get a bigger share of the economic pie."
The proposed legislation comes just three months ahead of the Ontario election in June and would give workers a $15 minimum wage, allowing them to keep their tips on top of that base pay. It would also ensure workplace disputes are resolved within Ontario in an effort to avoid any unnecessary travel fees.
Workers would also be required to receive written information on how their pay and tips are calculated.
"We continue to hear time and time again that some of these workers are making three or four dollars an hour," he said. "There was one worker that made $1,500 dollars one week and the next week, for the same hours, made $500."
McNaughton says he is confident other provinces will follow Ontario's lead. He and Premier Doug Ford are set to unveil further details of the legislation in a news conference later Monday morning. You'll be able to watch that live in this story.
The forthcoming announcement comes after Ford's government increased minimum wage to $15 an hour in January, a move that excluded gig workers.
In October 2021, many gig workers put pressure on the province to grant them basic workers' rights by classifying them as employees.
Since then, the government has made a series of changes to improve workers' rights, many of which were recommended by an expert committee, tasked by the province late last year with addressing labour disruptions from the pandemic.
The Ontario Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee prompted the province to start developing a "portable benefits" system for workers who don't have health, dental or vision coverage, with the package intended to move with the individuals if they change jobs.
The expert group also recommended that the government force greater transparency in gig work contracts and create a "dependent contractor" category for app-based gig workers that would guarantee employment rights like severance pay.
McNaughton says changes like these are crucial if the province hopes to keep up with the way technology app-based jobs have changed how people work.
Scientists say they know why pregnant women may reach for a THC gummy or joint.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he's not worried about the prospect of increased oil production from Venezuela challenging Canada's energy exports because Canadian oil is cheaper, cleaner and lower-risk.
The District of Vanderhoof, says it is now feeling the full financial impacts of Canfor’s 2024 Plateau sawmill closure and is facing a substantial loss of tax revenue for 2026.
As part of a series of concerts scheduled around the city in the lead up to the Juno Awards, Rollie Pemberton is excited to “hype up Hamilton as a really great music city,” and debut some new tunes.
It was a rocky year for Windsor. But it was a good year for minivans built in Canada's car capital.
An international organization that often finds itself at the centre of human rights conflicts in developing countries has turned its attention to a small town in southwest Nova Scotia.
Tuesday is expected to be a slippery one as Environment Canada is warning freezing rain is expected over the course of several hours.
Bishop Joseph Dabrowski is moving on from the Diocese of Charlottetown in early February to continue his work in Ontario.
The catchphrase going into Tuesday's coalition of the willing meeting on Ukraine in Paris appears to be: expect the unexpected.
A regime change in Venezuela could both help that country regain its former prominence as an oil producer and pose a threat to Canada’s industry, which is producing record amounts of oil and is expected to continue to grow for several more years.
Health Canada says it is reviewing nine submissions for generic versions of popular weight loss medications that pharmaceutical experts say could bring down the price.
Premier Doug Ford says he will make changes to residential recycling collection if needed after the province's newly privatized system had a rough start in Toronto, with some full blue bins sitting uncollected as of Monday.
Drivers in Ontario caught operating a vehicle while impaired will face tougher penalties that no longer need the determination of a judge.