It is my pleasure to welcome Patty Coates, the president of the Ontario Federation of Labour.

Interjections.

I’d also like to welcome workers from Windsor Salt: from Unifor Local 240, president Jodi Nesbitt, Karrie Burrows, Lindsay Meloche; and Unifor Local 1959 members Eric Brown, Dario Zuech, and Chad Girard.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I want to thank the member from Windsor–Tecumseh for being such a strong voice for the people of Windsor here at Queen’s Park.

Speaker, our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, has an ambitious plan to build the projects that families need, including in Windsor.

Our construction workers are true heroes for making our province stronger every day, and we need more of them. In the Windsor region alone, there were more than 11,000 jobs open at the end of 2022. That’s why our government is rolling out new employment services to help more people find good jobs, like those in construction—jobs with defined pensions and benefits that people can raise a family around.

We’ve also increased funding to our pre-apprenticeship programs to help interested job seekers try the construction trades and see which one is the best fit for them.

We’re doing so much more—and I look forward to the follow-up question.

My question is for the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

Across the province and particularly in my riding of Windsor–Tecumseh, it is evident that our government is working hard to build Ontario for the next generation. Many construction projects are under way across the region, both residentially and as business ventures. The pile-driving we’re hearing across the riding says it all. Local investments are driving a number of initiatives. With the investments made by our government for employers and for infrastructure projects, there’s a lot of activity taking place that will help our neighbourhoods of Windsor–Tecumseh succeed. However, in order to see these projects through to completion, we need to make sure we have the people to do the work.

Can the minister please explain what actions our government is taking to attract more workers to the construction sector?

Thank you to the minister for that response.

As you know, I love Windsor and Tecumseh. It is encouraging that, under the leadership of the Premier and this minister, our province has a robust plan to tackle the urgent shortage of workers in the construction trades.

The communities of southwestern Ontario are counting on our government to implement measures that will increase the number of skilled trades workers so that that important construction projects can get started and completed. Ontario needs workers. Even more so, workers are needed now. We need to reverse long-held notions about the trades and the construction industry to encourage more people to pursue them as full-time careers.

Can the minister please explain what investments our government is making to provide support for individuals who are looking for work in the construction industry?

Mr. Speaker, I can’t think of a member from the Windsor region who has delivered so much for the city of Windsor in the history of this Legislature. We think of a brand new hospital that’s going to be built, the Windsor Regional Hospital. We think of the brand new Stellantis plant that’s being built in Windsor. Congratulations to the member from Windsor–Tecumseh for his leadership.

Speaker, we’re making targeted investments in projects that are building a stronger Ontario for all of us.

Over the past three years, we’ve invested more than $660 million in our Skills Development Fund to get more people into the skilled trades.

Through our pre-apprenticeship program, we’ve invested $660,000 for Women’s Enterprise Skills Training of Windsor to train women for well-paying and in-demand work in the electrical trades. Tuition is free, and the program also includes paid placements, child care and transit passes.

These are life-changing opportunities to build stronger families and stronger communities for all of us.

I have to ask the party opposite: When did you get lost? When did you abandon workers in this province?

For example, we hired more than 100 new health and safety inspectors in the province. Do you know who said no? It was the NDP who voted to not strengthen health and safety in this province.

We’ll continue working every single day for all the workers in this province.

I can tell you that our government has sent a clear message to Windsor Salt. We’ve been in many discussions with Unifor over the past number of weeks. We want a deal at the table. Mr. Speaker, 98% of all deals in the province of Ontario are done at the table. We want a good deal, a fair deal for those Windsor Salt workers. We know they’re at the table, and we want them to get a deal as quickly as possible.

The minister really did a good job of avoiding actually answering the question.

Windsor Salt workers are here today, members of Unifor Locals 240 and 1959. They’ve been on strike for 40 days, fighting the outsourcing of their jobs by US-based holding company Stone Canyon Industries. These workers and every other worker in Ontario deserve to have their rights and jobs protected.

The Conservatives had many opportunities—since the legislation has been tabled 16 times—to support anti-scab labour legislation, and they didn’t.

You can’t honestly say you’re working for workers and vote against anti-scab legislation. It just doesn’t jibe.

Speaker, Windsor Salt workers and workers across Ontario want to know: Will the Premier stand up for collective bargaining rights, stand up for workers, and finally pass anti-scab legislation? No more rhetoric. Look right at those workers and tell them yes or no.

Interjections.

Earlier today, workers from Windsor, workers from Oshawa, workers from Toronto came to Queen’s Park. They came to Queen’s Park because they are part of this very small percentage, about 2% of collective agreements, that do not get negotiated but end up in a strike or lockout.

Unfortunately, their employers decided to hire replacement workers, scab workers. Most of those replacement workers don’t speak English or French. They are new arrivals to Ontario. They don’t know the labour law, but they will pay for the consequences of that work for the rest of their lives.

Does the member think that it would be working for workers to enact anti-replacement workers legislation in Ontario, like they do in British Columbia and Quebec?