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Bill 48, Support Workers Pay Act, 2021

West, Jamie

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Debates

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Bill 48 Original (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Bill enacts the Support Workers Pay Act, 2021 . The

Act provides that the minimum pay for every support worker shall be the minimum

pay for a support worker when including the temporary pandemic pay paid to

support workers. The Act also provides that every entity that employs support

workers shall provide travel payments per kilometre travelled between work

sites. The Act also provides that the Minister of Long-Term Care shall develop programs

to provide training, education and professional development for all support

workers and long-term care staff that provide care, to recruit and retain the

number of support workers required to deliver adequate and appropriate care,

and to ensure support workers are paid while learning on the job and that they can

receive full-time jobs at the end of their apprenticeship. The Act also

establishes the Support Worker Wage Review Commission.

Bill 48 2021

Act respecting minimum pay for support workers

Her

Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the

Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Definitions

this Act,

“Minister”

means the Minister of Long-Term Care; (“ ministre ”)

“support

worker” means a person who delivers personal support services and includes home

support workers, home help workers, community support workers, long-term care

home support workers, retirement home support workers, residential support workers

and homemakers. (“préposé aux services de soutien”)

Minimum

pay

(1) The

minimum pay for every support worker shall be the minimum amount received by a support

worker when including the temporary pandemic pay increase paid to support

workers in accordance with Ontario Regulation 241/20 (Order Under Subsection

7.0.2 (4) of the Act — Special Rules re Temporary Pandemic Pay) made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act , as it read immediately before

its revocation .

Appropriation

required

(2) Subsection

(1) does not apply unless money has been appropriated by the Legislature for the

purpose of subsection (1).

Travel

payments

(1) Every

entity that employs support workers shall provide travel payments in the amount

set by the Support Worker Wage Review Commission established under

section 5.

Appropriation

required

(2) Subsection

(1) does not apply unless money has been appropriated by the Legislature for the

purpose of subsection (1).

Programs

(1) The

Minister shall develop the following programs:

1. A

program to provide training, education and professional development for all

support workers and long-term care staff that provide care.

2. A

program designed to recruit and retain the number of support workers required

to deliver adequate and appropriate care.

3. A

program that ensures support workers are paid while learning on the job and

that helps to ensure they receive full-time jobs at the end of their training

period.

Appropriation

required

(2) Subsection

(1) does not apply unless money has been appropriated by the Legislature for the

purpose of subsection (1).

Support

Worker Wage Review Commission

(1) The

Support Worker Wage Review Commission is established.

Composition

(2) The

Commission shall be composed of no less than three and no more than nine

members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

Same

(3) In

the appointment of persons to the Commission under subsection (2), the

Lieutenant Governor in Council shall ensure, to the extent possible, the following

groups are evenly represented:

1. Sector

management.

2. Sector

policy experts.

3. Support

workers or support worker representatives.

Functions

(4) The

Commission shall perform the following functions:

1. The

Commission shall review support worker pay every two years.

2. Based

on each review under paragraph 1, the Commission shall make recommendations on

support worker pay to the Minister.

3. The

Commission shall review support worker travel pay and, no later than 12 months

after the day this

section comes into force, set the amount of travel pay

support workers shall receive per kilometre travelled between work sites.

4. The

Commission shall review the travel pay set under paragraph 3 once every two

years and, if it determines it is appropriate, increase the travel pay rate.

Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is the Support Workers Pay

Act, 2021 .

Date Bill stage Event Outcome Committee

November 15, 2021

First Reading

Vote

Carried

Debates and Progress

First Reading

November 15, 2021

Committee

Second Reading

Committee

Third Reading

Royal Assent

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