Human Resources committee  Good afternoon, everyone. Unifor is the largest private sector union, with 300,000 members, with over 80,000 women and men working in the federal sector, which includes rail, transportation, airlines, and communications, just to name a few. On behalf of our members, we are conce

Human Resources committee  The workplaces right now are not as safe as they should be, so how is this bill going to be enhancing that safety of workers? I don't see the changes that will enhance what we currently have. Instead, as I said in my presentation, this will be taking us back.

Human Resources committee  We don't see that. By taking words out, what are you accomplishing with the definition? The current definition was a collaborative effort that came out of the 2000 consultation process. A lot of effort went into it from all the parties involved. This new definition has not receiv

Human Resources committee  No.

Human Resources committee  Currently, we don't understand the government's position that 80% of work refusals are frivolous or vexatious. We don't experience that in our workplaces. Work refusals are the last resort workers use to have their safety concerns addressed by the employer. They have gone throug

Human Resources committee  What does that mean to an average worker? What's the education going to be to the average worker? What does that mean?

Human Resources committee  Well, if they don't know what it means, how are they going to be able...? If they're not educated on it, how are they going to be able to exercise their right to refuse, and then start writing the report that needs to be done according to the new changes?

Human Resources committee  That's correct.

Human Resources committee  Prevention is always a good thing. However, the changes proposed here do not address the participation of all of the workplace parties. A lot of the participatory nature, the internal responsibility system in the workplace, the balance of power, so to speak, is being recrafted. S

Human Resources committee  No.

Human Resources committee  Well, I don't see how putting more obstacles in the form of having to write reports to proceed from one stage of the work refusal to the next gives more powers to a committee. To me that puts a lot of hindrance on workers, and we also have to think of the makeup—

Human Resources committee  Let me finish, please.

Human Resources committee  When you're looking at the makeup of the workplace parties, they're not just unilingual or bilingual. You have a lot of newcomers to Canada who will have to be writing reports.

Human Resources committee  That's not what I'm saying.

Human Resources committee  If the current definition and the new definition are supposed to afford the same protections, why are we making the changes? Why are we going through this process?