Canadian HR Reporter

PM40065782 RO9496 THE NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT March 2019 www.hrreporter.com QUEBEC LOOKS TO FIX IMMIGRATION DELAYS Living your authentic self Deloitte supports transgender employee through transition page 2 Embracing the 4-day workweek B.C.-based company sees success after productivity training page 3 Combating cancer HR needs to improve accommodation, management of chronic disease, say experts page 6 But employers could face more hurdles as province attempts 'Tinder-like' revamp BY SARAH DOBSON "It was a hell of a fight," says Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president of OPSEU, of the agreement with the College Employer Council. Credit: OPSEU page 21 Taking to the skies Aviation and aerospace mentoring program sees women gain much-needed support and guidance Credit: meunierd (Shutterstock) Saint Patrick's Basilica opened in 1847 to serve the needs of Irish immigrants who came to Montreal due to the famine in Ireland. Quebec continues to grapple with immigration challenges. uebec employers may face additional hurdles if the province's new government has its way on changes to immigration rules. With the introduction of Bill 9, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) hopes to improve "the francization and integration of selected candidates" and better align the province's labour needs with the profi les of selected candidates. " e real problem with the immigration system is that it was not based (on) the needs of the work market, it was only 'fi rst apply, fi rst treatment,'" said Quebec Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette. "Now we are changing that." "We are taking the profi le of the candidate with the job that we need, so we make a match — it's like a Tinder of immigration." As part of the change, the bill proposes terminating most of the fi les for which a decision has not yet been rendered under the Regular Skilled Worker Program — of which there are about 18,000. e new system would involve a declaration of in- terest, with candidates who meet Quebec's needs be- ing invited to apply, while reducing processing times for applications for permanent selection from skilled workers, according to the CAQ. e announcement follows a move in December to reduce the number of immigrants entering the prov- ince to 40,000 from 50,000. Bill 9 also emphasizes the importance of integrating immigrants into Quebec and states they must suc- cessfully settle into their new home by learning the French language alongside democratic and Quebec values, as set out in the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, said the government. "We want to give the chance for anybody, from anywhere around the world, to come to Quebec," said Jolin-Barrette, according to the CBC. "But what we say is: 'Come work in Quebec, but you will have to learn French and have the knowledge of Quebec values to be there forever.'" LOW > pg. 10 labour-reporter.com HOW WILL YOU APPROACH YOUR NEXT AGREEMENT ? Ontario college support staff unionize – after 14-year struggle 'Extraordinary' case involved large number of workers, multiple locations: Lawyer BY JOHN DUJAY AFTER a "huge undertaking" that began in 2005, about 20,000 part-time college support staff in Ontario have fi nally signed their fi rst collective agreement with the College Employer Council (CEC), which represents 24 community colleges in the province. "It's the biggest organizing drive in decades, if not in the history of the labour movement," said War- ren (Smokey) omas, Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) president. "It was funny — a year to the date of certifi cation, we got the tentative agreement. I wouldn't plan it; it was just a fl uke," he said. "It's good to see (for) this group of people." e part-time support workers were certifi ed by the Ontario La- bour Relations Board (OLRB) on Jan. 30, said omas. And on that same day, OPSEU and CEC agreed to a fi rst contract for the workers, who had been barred from union membership in the original Colleges Collective Bargaining Act, which was drafted in the early 1970s, he said. "There was a large group of people who stuck with the eff ort and would just help reach out to new hires (and) other part-time workers. Our unionized employ- ees in the college, (and) in the ESA > pg. 12 B.C.-based company sees success after productivity training Aviation and aerospace mentoring program sees women gain much-needed support and guidance

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