Bill 67 explained in plain English
Labour Relations Amendment Act (Protecting Ontario's Power Supply), 2018
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
This Ontario Act amended the Labour Relations Act, 1995 to prohibit strikes and lock-outs at Ontario Power Generation Inc. and establish a mandatory process for resolving a labour dispute and reaching a new collective agreement.
This Ontario law, the Labour Relations Amendment Act (Protecting Ontario's Power Supply), 2018, was created to address a labour dispute between Ontario Power Generation Inc. (OPG) and the Power Workers' Union (PWU). The Act prohibits strikes and lock-outs at OPG, requires any existing strikes or lock-outs to end, and establishes a process for resolving the dispute and reaching a new collective agreement. It also repeals and replaces sections of the Labour Relations Act, 1995, specifically sections 169 to 189, which deal with the Ontario Power Generation industry.
- It prohibits employees of Ontario Power Generation Inc. (OPG) from striking and prohibits OPG from initiating a lock-out. (Section 171, 172)
- It requires OPG to operate its undertakings and terminate any lock-out that was in effect when the Act received Royal Assent. (Section 173)
- It requires the Power Workers' Union (PWU) and its employees to terminate any strike that was in effect when the Act received Royal Assent and resume work. (Section 173)
- It establishes that any strike or lock-out in contravention of these prohibitions is considered unlawful. (Section 176)
- It states that the terms and conditions of employment in place before the labour dispute remain in effect until a new collective agreement is reached, unless the parties agree otherwise. (Section 177)
- It deems all outstanding matters in the dispute to be referred to a mediator-arbitrator for resolution. (Section 178)
- It sets out a process for appointing a mediator-arbitrator, including timelines and the process for replacement if needed, with the Minister of Labour having the power to appoint if the parties fail to do so. (Section 179)
- It gives the mediator-arbitrator exclusive jurisdiction to determine all matters necessary to conclude a new collective agreement and sets timelines for the dispute resolution process. (Section 182, 183)
- It outlines the criteria the mediator-arbitrator must consider when making an award, including OPG's ability to pay, the economic situation in Ontario, and comparisons with similar employees. (Section 185)
- It states that the mediator-arbitrator's award is final and binding on OPG and the PWU. (Section 186)
- It requires both OPG and the PWU to share the costs of the mediator-arbitrator equally. (Section 187)
- It requires the parties to prepare and execute documents giving effect to the award within seven days, or the award will be considered the new collective agreement. (Section 189)
- It repeals sections 169 to 189 of the Labour Relations Act, 1995, which previously dealt with the Ontario Power Generation industry, and substitutes new provisions. (Section 1, Section 2 of the Amending Act)
- Ontario Power Generation Inc. (employer)
- The Power Workers' Union (PWU) and its members (employees of OPG)
- The Minister of Labour (involved in mediator-arbitrator appointment)
- OPG is obligated to operate its undertakings and terminate any lock-out.
- The PWU is obligated to terminate any strike and its members are obligated to resume their duties.
- Employees are prohibited from striking.
- OPG is prohibited from initiating a lock-out.
- Parties have a duty to participate in the mediation-arbitration process.
- The mediator-arbitrator has the duty to facilitate the resolution of the dispute and issue a binding award.
- The award of the mediator-arbitrator is final and binding.
- The Act received Royal Assent on December 20, 2018.
- Most of the Act came into force on December 20, 2018. (Section 3(1))
- Section 2 of the Act (repealing sections 169-189 of the Labour Relations Act, 1995) came into force on a day to be proclaimed by the Lieutenant Governor. (Section 3(2))
- The terms and conditions of employment remain the same until a new collective agreement is executed or comes into force. (Section 177)
- The mediator-arbitrator process begins within 30 days of appointment. (Section 183(1))
- The mediator-arbitrator must make an award within 90 days of appointment. (Section 183(1))
- The parties must execute documents giving effect to the award within seven days of the award being made, or the documents become the new collective agreement. (Section 189(1), 189(5))
- Each party (OPG and PWU) must pay one-half of the fees and expenses of the mediator-arbitrator. (Section 187)
- A strike or lock-out that contravenes the prohibitions in the Act is deemed unlawful. (Section 176)
- Section 109 of the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (which relates to penalties for unlawful strikes and lock-outs) does not apply to prosecutions for contraventions of sections 171, 172, or 173 of the Labour Relations Act, 1995 as amended by this Act. (Section 174)
- The specific date on which Section 2 of the Act (which repeals sections 169-189 of the Labour Relations Act, 1995) came into force is not provided, as it is to be proclaimed by the Lieutenant Governor.
- The Act does not specify penalties for contraventions of the prohibitions on strikes and lock-outs, other than deeming them unlawful and stating that Section 109 of the Labour Relations Act, 1995 does not apply.
- While Section 173(6) provides an exception for employees not reporting to work for reasons of health or by mutual consent, the exact conditions and procedures for this exception are not detailed in the provided text.
Amends the Labour Relations Act, 1995 to add new sections (169-189) that specifically address labour relations at Ontario Power Generation Inc., prohibiting strikes and lock-outs and establishing a mandatory mediation-arbitration process for dispute resolution.
Source: Section 1 of the Act, Explanatory Note
Repeals the existing Section 169 of the Labour Relations Act, 1995 and substitutes new definitions and provisions related to the Ontario Power Generation industry.
Source: Section 1
Repeals sections 169 to 189 of the Labour Relations Act, 1995, which previously governed labour relations in the Ontario Power Generation industry.
Source: Section 2
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
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Vote Summary
This bill does not have a published recorded division in the current official sources, so representative-by-representative vote counts are not shown.
No published representative vote breakdown
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Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
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