Ontario
Ontario Labour Market Shortage Coalition. On September 27, RCC joined forces with other Ontario business and education leaders to raise awareness of the province's looming labour shortage crisis. The Ontario Workforce Shortage Coalition urges political leaders to undertake the development of a provincial skills strategy, beginning with a Premier's Council on Skills, and has released two reports that underscore the need for the strategy. RCC will continue to be a leader in this coalition, speaking to the need to address the skilled and 'skillable' retail worker shortage in Ontario.
Private Security and Investigative Services Act. RCC succeeded in giving retailers additional time to register when the Act was proclaimed in August 2007. In response to concerns raised by RCC, retailers now have until August 23, 2008, to register and ensure that their staff is licensed. RCC continues to be involved with the implementation of the Act through participation on the Minister's Advisory Committee.
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. RCC has taken a leadership role in the creation of standards under the Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act. RCC helped draft the first standard, dealing with customer service, which was publicly announced in August 2007. The regulation came into effect January 1, 2008; organizations with 20 or more employees will have three years from that date to be in compliance. In order to assist members with complying with the standard — which includes staff training on accessibility — RCC has entered into a contract with the Government of Ontario to produce education and training materials and develop retail specific tools and resources, including an online training module that will be available to RCC members free of charge.
Holding the Line on WSIB Premium Rates. RCC and the employer community banded together as the Ontario Business Coalition to protest the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) premium rate increase in 2006 and warnings of future year-over-year increases. As a result, WSIB announced that it would hold the line on 2007 premium rates for employers.
WSIB's Early and Safe Return to Work Policy. RCC successfully opposed the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board's (WSIB) draft policies regarding the Early and Safe Return to Work (ESRTW) process. After reviewing them, RCC argued the policies would be both severe and overly burdensome for retailers to comply with. As a result, WSIB announced that it would not move forward with the changes. Instead, WSIB revised the policies to reflect the input received by stakeholders — including RCC — and committed to a much more open, transparent and measured consultation process.
Integrating the Retail Curriculum into Ontario Secondary Schools. RCC persuaded the Ontario Ministry of Education to work with RCC towards the recognition of retail in one of the Specialist High Skills Majors designations available to secondary school students in 2007. Students who major in high skills will have an opportunity to participate in experiential learning through employers, skills training centres, colleges and community organizations. The government is doing this to help reduce high-school dropout rates, but it is a great opportunity for retailers on the labour supply front, as well as a good way to get the government behind RCC's Retail as a Career message in a tangible way.
Levy on Bottled Water Defeated. RCC was successful in persuading the City of Toronto's Executive Committee to defeat a proposed five- to 10-cent levy on bottled water.
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