Jean-Pierre Blackburn, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Labour
Place du Portage, Phase II, 11th Floor
165 Hotel de Ville Street,
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 0J2

Dear Minister:

Re: Protection for Temporary Workers in Canada

I wish to bring to your attention a disturbing trend in our labour market. While I am sure that your officials have flagged this already for your attention, allow me to highlight this issue for you. The growth of temporary workers in Canada has increased dramatically in recent years, and this trend has been termed the 'casualization of employment'. This increase in the 'mcjob' culture is becoming a permanent feature of our labour market. As such, I believe this raises important issues that we as parliamentarians must address head on. While I do not wish to engage in a debate on the pros and cons of this trend, I am particularly concerned with the protections, or lack there of, afforded to this ever increasing army of temporary workers.

Many constituents in my riding, and I am sure yours as well, work in these 'casual' jobs, and have come to me on several occasions to express their concerns about the lack of fair treatment from the system and employers. While I understand that all workers are covered by certain basic protections against things like discrimination, harassment, and unsafe working conditions - there are important protections that these temporary workers do not enjoy. For example, while they are entitled to employment Insurance and Canada pension Plan benefits, they are not entitled to basic rights such as termination/severance pay or notice in lieu. Further, these workers have no guarantee of their employment should they become injured or ill. This would also be the case for a female worker who becomes pregnant.

While the provinces and territories have a duty to legislate in these areas, the Federal Government has a leadership role to play in encouraging a uniform and national standard across the country. Currently provinces and territories have a patchwork of laws and regulations which attempt to address these issues. I would encourage you to consult with your officials and your provincial and territorial counterparts to develop a strategy in this area to offer uniform protections for these workers. Given the shift toward increased temporary employment in Canada, we have a duty to act.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter, and I look forward to your reply, and to working with you on this issue. Feel free to contact me directly should you wish to discuss this further.

Yours sincerely,

Roy Cullen, P.C., M.P.
Etobicoke North