Minister of Labour meets stakeholders in London, gets update on workplace harassment and violence prevention projects supported by Government of Canada
News release
February 14, 2020 London, Ontario Employment and Social Development Canada
Today, the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Labour, wrapped up her visit to southern Ontario in London, where she met with stakeholders and got a progress update on projects supported by Employment and Social Development Canada’s Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Fund. The Fund was announced last year on International Women’s Day.
During the day, Minister Tassi met with Ed Holder, the Mayor of London, and visited the United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America Local 1946, where she was joined by the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, as well as Members of Parliament Peter Fragiskatos and Kate Young. Additional tour stops by the Minister included the LiUNA Training Centre and Fanshawe College.
The Minister also met with Johanna Weststar, an industrial relations and human resources specialist at Western University. While on campus, Minister Tassi toured Western’s Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children, where she learned more about two projects receiving funding through the Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Fund.
One of these projects aims to create online tools and resources for vulnerable workers so that they have the means to report incidents of sexual harassment and violence as well as access to support resources. The other is aimed at ensuring workers, unions and employers are able to respond effectively to issues of harassment and violence in the workplace, with a particular focus on domestic violence.
These projects, along with the others announced last year, will help workplaces comply with Bill C-65—new legislation to protect employees from harassment and violence in federally regulated workplaces. The final Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention regulations will be published in the coming months, and the legislation will come into force later this year.
Quotes
“I’m really pleased to have had the opportunity to meet with some of our stakeholders and partners and to get an update on the important work being done to make our workplaces healthy and safe. When we introduced Bill C-65, we knew that legislation is just one part of the best approach to workplace harassment and violence. That’s why we made significant investments in projects like the ones underway at Western University that will help protect federally regulated employees from these unacceptable behaviours, because all Canadians deserve a workplace that is free from harassment and violence.”
– The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Labour
Quick facts
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Bill C-65 will strengthen provisions in the Canada Labour Code by putting into place one comprehensive approach that takes the full spectrum of harassment and violence into consideration, and expand the coverage to cover parliamentary workplaces, including staff of Parliament Hill. Bill C-65 will come into force in 2020.
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Through Budget 2018, the Government committed $34.9 million over five years, starting in 2018–19, with $7.4 million per year ongoing, to support Bill C-65, of which $3.5 million annually is dedicated to grants and contributions through the Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Fund. There are seven projects receiving funding through the new fund, which was announced last year on International Women’s Day.
Associated links
Contacts
For media enquiries, please contact:
Dustin Fitzpatrick
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Filomena Tassi, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Labour
819-654-5611
dustin.fitzpatrick@labour-travail.gc.ca
Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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