Dozens of auto workers protest new labour laws in Toronto

Dozens of auto sector workers protested at Queen's Park Sunday against historic changes to Ontario's personal emergency leave they claim unfairly punishes them.

The rally took place in the shadow of the province's legislature that's responsible for rolling out the exemptions for auto workers. 

"We don't want special treatment, we want the exact same thing that everyone in Ontario gets," said rally organizer William Murray. 

Under the new labour laws, everyone covered by the provincial Employment Standards Act is granted 10 days of emergency leave — which includes sick time, plus three days for bereavement, two days of which will be paid — except auto workers. 

Instead of 10 days, they are entitled to seven days a year and three days for bereavement, none of which will be paid. 

The reason for the exemption was "to balance the rights and needs of workers with ensuring the auto sector in Ontario remains competitive in what's become a fast-changing global economy," Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development and Growth, previously said in a statement. 

He added minor adjustments to a regulation ensures companies can continue to support long-term jobs in Ontario, and auto workers have more vacation time than other workers — time they can use for personal leave.

This sweeping change to Ontario's employment laws took effect Jan. 1 under the Liberal government's Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act. 

Murray works the assembly line as a material handler at the Toyota plant in Woodstock, Ont. He explains the loss of sick days has had the greatest impact on auto workers. 

"People are getting written up at work who last year, or two years ago, would have been fine for their attendance. Now this is not acceptable," he said. "People can actually get fired for this, where if they worked in any other industry in Ontario, they would be fine." 

The bill that is the centrepiece of Premier Kathleen Wynne's re-election effort, flared tensions between the province and auto sector when the exemption was first announced in December. Allies in the union movement accused the reforms of shortchanging auto workers. 

Unifor has since set up an online petition addressed to Wynne and Labour Minister Kevin Flynn outlining how the union believes auto workers have been "unfairly singled out."

The Liberals announced last week that a review of personal emergency leave would be conducted to assess the impact on auto workers after Unifor National President Jerry Dias met with Flynn to address concerns. 

"It is unfair and is hurting workers and their families," Dias said in a statement.