Category
Legislation
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Alberta legislators in marathon debate over workplace rules
EDMONTON – Alberta politicians talked around the clock into the afternoon Thursday in a marathon debate over a bill that would cut the minimum wage for young people and change rules on calculating overtime pay. Opposition NDP members began delivering…
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Liberals rolling out new measures to protect migrant workers, newcomers
OTTAWA – The Liberal government is rolling out several new measures to protect vulnerable migrant workers and immigrants living in Canada. Starting next week, temporary foreign workers who find themselves in abusive job situations in Canada will be able to…
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Senate committee approves changes to solitary confinement bill
OTTAWA – A committee of senators has approved changes to a bill that aims to end solitary confinement in Canadian prisons – including one key change that would place a 48-hour maximum on the time an inmate can be kept…
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Feds lay out proposed new rules for voice, video recorders in locomotives
OTTAWA – The federal Liberals have laid out their proposal for rules around voice and data recorders on locomotives, specifying when companies can use the devices to address safety concerns and how workers’ privacy will be protected. Legislation passed by…
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Alberta introduces bill to change overtime pay, reduce youth minimum wage
EDMONTON – Alberta is cutting the minimum wage for young workers and making other changes to overtime, holiday pay and votes for union certification. Premier Jason Kenney’s United Conservative government has introduced a bill, which if passed would reduce the…
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Experts say Canada lacks laws to tackle life and death problems posed by AI
TORONTO – The role of artificial intelligence in Netflix’s movie suggestions and Alexa’s voice commands is commonly understood, but less known is the shadowy role AI now plays in law enforcement, immigration assessment, military programs and other areas. Despite its…
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Saskatchewan introduces five day paid leave for domestic violence victims
REGINA – Saskatchewan will be offering paid leave to victims of domestic and sexual violence who require time off from work. The government has introduced and passed legislation that it expects to take effect later this month. The change means…
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Solitary confinement bill will make some conditions worse, not better: Senator
OTTAWA – A Canadian senator who has spent four decades advocating for the rights of vulnerable people in Canadian prisons says a new bill that purports to end solitary confinement should be scrapped. Sen. Kim Pate says the Trudeau government’s…
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Ontario’s transportation minister raises possibility of higher speed limits
TORONTO – Ontario will look at raising speed limits on provincial highways, with the transportation minister musing that those roads can safely handle traffic at 120 kilometres an hour. Jeff Yurek said Wednesday that he will announce speed limit consultations…
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Workers’ tips and kids to be protected under employment law changes in B.C.
VICTORIA – The British Columbia government is changing employment standards to protect children on the job after WorkSafeBC paid a total of $5.2 million in work injury claims to children 15 years and under from 2007 to 2017. Amendments introduced…
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‘What if, what if, what if:’ inquiry hears details about Alberta Mountie’s death
ST. ALBERT, Alta. – The widow of an Alberta RCMP officer killed while trying to make an arrest spoke at a fatality inquiry Thursday to the mother of the man who pulled the trigger. “My heart hurts because you lost…
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Energy firm fined for explosion that killed two oilsands workers
FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – The company formerly known as Nexen Energy has been fined $450,000 after pleading guilty to charges in the deaths of two oilsands workers in northern Alberta. The two men died from an explosion at the Long…
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Harassment scandal sparks proposed changes in N.L. legislature
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – A year after a harassment and bullying scandal rocked the province’s Liberal government, a new workplace policy was tabled Monday in the Newfoundland and Labrador legislature. A legislature committee drafted the blueprint after consultations found concerns…
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Quebec bill prohibits religious symbols for teachers, other public sector workers
QUEBEC – The Quebec government tabled legislation Thursday to prohibit public sector employees in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols at work. The law affects teachers, judges, police officers, prison guards, Crown prosecutors and other public servants in positions…
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B.C. legislature committee calls for no regulatory roadblocks to ride hailing
VICTORIA – Premier John Horgan says ride-hailing will arrive in British Columbia this year following the release of an all-party committee report Tuesday that recommends few government restrictions on the services. “We committed to get this done,” Horgan said at…
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‘I’m a little numb:’ Killer of B.C. gas station attendant Grant De Patie dies
BLIND BAY, B.C. – The mother of a British Columbia gas station attendant dragged to death under a vehicle more than a decade ago, says she is “numb” to learn her son’s killer has died. Corinne De Patie says she…
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Migrant farm worker review prompts renewed calls for reforms, protections
OTTAWA – In midsummer 2018, while many Canadians were enjoying cold drinks on a hot day, a group of migrant farm labourers in Southern Ontario made a desperate phone call. The workers had been recruited from their homes in Central…
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UCP leader would replace Alberta farm employment rules, injury compensation
RIMBEY, Alta. – Alberta Opposition Leader Jason Kenney says if he were premier he would repeal legislation that ensures workplace safety, employment standards and injury coverage on farms. He says the NDP government didn’t properly consult before bringing in the…
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Halifax businessman sent to prison for exploiting temporary foreign workers
HALIFAX – A judge handed down a two-year prison sentence Friday to a Halifax businessman who exploited foreign workers, saying he wanted to send a wider message to employers across the country. Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Glen McDougall said…
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Government report lists multiple trucking violations by Humboldt semi driver
MELFORT, Sask. – A Saskatchewan government report says the driver of a semi-truck should not have been on the road the day he flew through a stop sign and caused a crash involving the Humboldt Broncos hockey team bus. The…