Autoworkers are accusing the provincial government of selling them out when it comes to new sick day legislation.
They claim changes made to Bill 148 in late December will remove of most of their paid sick days (Emergency Leave of Absence days) and replace them with fewer, unpaid days. The Fair Workplaces Better Jobs Act was created as an update to the Employment Standards Act.
“The locals around here are upset about it and fed up,” said Mark Clapper, president of Unifor Local 1987.
On Thursday morning Clapper led a handful of employees with Ventra Plastics to a rally outside Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal’s office. Ventra makes parts for the auto industry. The local represents 525 workers at the plant.
Clapper claims the province is reducing their sick days and that it affects all parts suppliers, not workers at autoplants such as Toyota and General Motors.
“Just before Christmas shutdown, the Liberal government had a secret behind-the-door meeting to discriminate against the auto sector by taking the 10 sick days away and only giving seven unpaid sick days,” said Clapper.
He calls it a “sellout” by the province and says the change might be linked to the current re-negotiating of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to save money.
The local represents 525 workers at Ventra.
Leal says he will look into the matter.
“I was certainly surprised by the term ‘secret meeting,'” Leal said. “Obviously I wasn’t at that secret meeting so I can’t comment on what were the topics discussed. But I indicated to them I will pursue this issue on their behalf.”
Clapper hopes the government will reverse its decision and says it’s important to keep up the pressure.
“What we got to do is get all the auto sector together and rally at Queen’s Park and have our voices heard and say we’re being discriminated against,” he said.
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