Introduction

The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) is pleased to present its Pre-Budget Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs on behalf of our 700,000 affiliated members.

In this round of discussions we would like to focus on policy issues which impact on the well-being of the people of Ontario such as:

needed pension reform;

rising energy costs and consequent economic difficulties;

public-private-partnerships (P3s) and consequent understaffing;

card certification, the missing piece in the last round of labour reform; and

poverty and homelessness which is a debilitating situation of far too many people.

We maintain that all of these issues need the attention of government and with the suggested directions herein would assist people to lead more prosperous lives and contribute to the well-being of Ontario.

Pension Reform:

Just last November at the Ontario Federation of Labour’s convention hundreds of delegates debated and passed a major policy paper on pensions.  For many years the OFL has fought for pension improvements for working people in Ontario.  Most recently, under the Eves Conservative Government, the OFL lobbied and made written submissions on the issue of pension surpluses.

This effort, together with the strong opposition of plan members and retirees across the province, forced the Eves Government to back off its attempt to fundamentally alter pension provisions on surpluses in favour of employers.

We would like to draw the government’s attention to some of the OFL’s convention policy paper’s main planks which we believe, if implemented, would add to the prosperity of Ontario’s citizens.