Ontario
moves ahead
on PTSD
legislation
for fi rst
responders
TORONTO — Queen's Park is
moving ahead with plans to ad-
dress post-traumatic stress disor-
ders (PTSD) for first responders.
On Feb. 18, labour minister
Kevin Flynn and community
safety and correctional ser-
vices minister Yasir Naqvi an-
nounced the legislation, saying
it would allow faster access to
Workplace Safety and Insur-
ance Board (WSIB) benefits and
timely treatment for the more
than 73,000 first responders in
Ontario, including firefighters,
police, paramedics and workers
in correctional facilities.
Should it pass, the Support-
ing Ontario's First Responders
Act would include a presump-
tion provision. That means first
responders would no longer
have to prove the job caused post
traumatic stress — it would be
presumed.
"This legislation will give first
responders and those who work
in corrections the peace of mind
they deserve, and our preven-
tion, resiliency and research ini-
tiatives will round out a compre-
hensive PTSD approach we can
all be proud of and that will pro-
tect the brave men and women
who we entrust with keeping us
safe and secure," Flynn said.
The proposed legislation
would also require employers
to implement PTSD prevention
plans within the workplace.
According to the Ministry of
Labour, first responders are at
least twice as likely to suffer from
PTSD compared to the general
population, due to routine expo-
sure to occupational stressors.
"We have seen the devastat-
ing impact PTSD can have on
those who keep us safe — such
as our police officers, firefight-
ers, dispatchers and correctional
officers and other frontl-ine staff
in our correctional institutions,"
Naqvi added. "Our govern-
ment's comprehensive approach
to PTSD is all about preventing,
diagnosing and supporting the
recovery of those who keep our
communities safe every day."
Air Canada,
fl ight
dispatchers
ratify 12-year
agreement
TORONTO — Air Canada and
the Canadian Airline Dispatch-
ers Association (CALDA) rati-
fied a collective agreement on
Feb. 12. The 12-year contract
covers flight dispatchers based
at the airline's operations centre
near Toronto Pearson Interna-
tional Airport.
The workers assist flight crew
in the preparation for flight de-
partures and arrivals.
The collective agreement
is the seventh deal reached
between Air Canada and its
unions in the past 18 months.
CALDA's contract follows
similar agreements, such as the
10-year contracts with techni-
cal, maintenance, airport ramp
and cargo personnel represent-
ed by IAMAW, with flight at-
tendants represented by CUPE
and with pilots represented by
ACPA.
"These agreements provide
Air Canada with added stability
and flexibility to support long-
term and profitable growth
at the airline that is beneficial
for all stakeholders," said Calin
Rovinescu, president and chief
executive of Air Canada.
Chilean copper miners who have grown reliant on cheap outsourced workers are bringing more of them
in-house or bracing for salary hikes ahead of the expected passage of a pro-worker reform bill.
LABOUR LENS
LABOUR BRIEFS
2
Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2016
FORMERLY CLV REPORTS
Serving labour relations professionals
since 1956
www.labour-reporter.com
Published weekly by omson Reuters
Canada Ltd.
Subscription rate: $595 per year
Customer Service
Tel: (416) 609-3800 (Toronto)
(800) 387-5164 (outside Toronto)
Fax: (416) 298-5106
Email: carswell.customerrelations@
thomsonreuters.com
Website: www.carswell.com
Director, Carswell Media
Karen Lorimer
Publisher
John Hobel (on leave)
Acting Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
Todd Humber
Editor/Supervisor
Sarah Dobson | (416) 649-7896
sarah.dobson@thomsonreuters.com
News Editor
Sabrina Nanji | (416) 649-9348
sabrina.nanji@thomsonreuters.com
News Editor
Liz Foster | (416) 298-5129
liz.foster@thomsonreuters.com
Marketing Co-ordinator
Keith Fulford | (416) 649-9585
keith.fulford@thomsonreuters.com
© 2016 Carswell, a division of omson
Reuters Canada Ltd. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the
written permission of the publisher.
e publisher is not engaged in rendering
legal, accounting or other professional
advice. If legal or other expert assistanceis
required, the services of a competent
professional should be sought. e analysis
contained herein represents the opinion of
the authors and should in no way be
construed as being either offi cial or
unoffi cial policy of any governmental body.
ISSN 0045-5113
Publications Registration 2089
Canadian Labour Reporter is part of the
Canadian HR Reporter group of
publications. Visit www.hrreporter.com
for more information.
Labour Reporter
Canadian
www.labourreporter.com
Photo:
Ivan
Alvarado
(Reuters)
