b'UPDATEOSWCA ADVOCACY AND INITIATIVESThe Association submitted a formal response tonot possible in (the) current environment. The the MECPs excess soils regulatory amendment,earnings ceiling increase is entirely inconsistent outlining the need for further clarity surroundingwith WSIBs announcement that it will be holding grandfathering provisions, while also applauding theall 2021 employer premium rates at 2020 levels. governments proposal to provide additional flexibilityThe Association is in full support of the premium to soil management rules for soil storage and reuse ofrate freeze. However, as construction is a high-wage salt impacted soils, among others. The entire submis- industry, the increase will disproportionately nega-sion can be found on the Associations website. tively impact our employers, a result in total polarity to a rate freeze. OSWCA PRE-BUDGET SUBMISSION While the earnings ceiling increase is a technical As Ontario looks forward to the long-term recovery ofconcept, it means that presently, companies pay WSIB its economy, employing measures to ensure the mostpremium rates on up to $95,400 in salary; however, efficient and strategic allocation of resources will beas a result of the increase, they will be paying WSIB critical to sustainable economic development andpremium rates on up to $102,800 in salary.job growth. In response to the Associations advocacy efforts Understanding this need for heightened strategicthrough the Construction Employers Coalition, resource management post-COVID-19, theBill 238 was introduced by the Labour Minister. Association provided that the delivery and financingBill 238 limits the premium ceiling increase to of critical water and wastewater infrastructure istwo per cent (from 2020 $95,400 to proposed 2021 one particular area in which the Province will find$97,308) but allows a 7.8 per cent increase in the considerable efficiencies, which will aid in Ontariosceiling for benefit calculations (from 2020 $95,400 to post-pandemic recovery. proposed 2021 $102,841). The Association submitted to the Province the followingThe Association will continue to work through proposal which supports the adoption of a utilitiesthe Construction Employers Coalition to address model used in other jurisdictions for the financing andconcerns that the WSIB is violating some core delivery of critical water and wastewater infrastructure,funding principles; however, the proposal to reduce as it is more crucial now than ever. The entire proposalthe ceiling increase from 7.8 per cent to two per cent includes the following information in more detail: will significantly reduce the burden on employers.An opportunity for significant provincial financial relief, and in turn, the ability to reallocate current municipal water and wastewater subsidies to provin-cial post-pandemic recovery initiatives.The case for mandating full-cost recovery. An overview of the current state of water and waste-water infrastructure in Ontario. The case for regionalizing small municipal water and wastewater systems. Subsidization models to accommodate low-and-fixed-income users.More specifically, employing measures to ensure the most efficient and strategic allocation of resources will be critical, not only to sustainable infrastructure investment, but too, as Ontario moves through the post-pandemic economic recovery process. By requiring municipalities to operate their water and wastewater systems on a full-cost recovery basis, the Province will: create consistent and sustainable jobs at the municipal level by ensuring stable and predictable annual invest-ments in local infrastructure; ensure the sustainability of municipal operators to deliver clean drinking water and appropriately treat and dispose of wastewater; and perhaps entirely remove the need for provincial subsidi-zation of municipal water and wastewater systems.WSIB INSURABLE EARNING CEILING INCREASEThe WSIB Board of Directors has advised that for 2021, the earnings ceiling will increase 7.8 per cent from $95,400 to $102,800, at a time when the WSIB has declared employer rate increases (are)H 2 OSWCAWinter 2020/202137'