b'UPDATE - OSWCA ADVOCACY AND INITIATIVESISSUES ON THE MOVE BY PATRICK MCMANUS, DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONSTTable 1 DESCRIPTION 2018 2019 PERCENTAGEhroughout last fall, our advocacy focus shifted to an almost entirelyRATElabour-focused agenda,GROUP # PREMIUM PREMIUM CHANGEas the province movesRATE (%) RATE (%)forward on substantial labour reforms. The governmentRoadbuildingis intent on making significant711 and Excavating 4.5 2.98 - 33.8%changes early in its term and then simply managing the file through to the 2022 election. As such, we haveHeavy Civil been working through the Premiers732 Construction 5.98 3.71 - 38.0 %Office, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, and WSIB, and alongside the Ontario Chamber ofpremium rates. For the rate groupsBILL 47MAKING ONTARIOCommerce and Skills Ontario, tomost commonly used by OSWCAOPEN FOR BUSINESS ACTsee some of these changes through.members, the declines would be asOn November 21, the government Details on the status of a number ofshown in Table 1. passed Bill 47, Making Ontario Open initiatives are included below. for Business Act. The Bill officially While the maximum insurabledissolves the Ontario College of WSIB PREMIUM RATES earnings ceiling will be increasingTrades (gradual wind down over Following lengthy discussions andby 2.54 per cent to $92,600, yousix months), repeals the Bill 148 consultation with stakeholders inwill be saving $1,304.02 for RG 711reforms that were impacting the the construction sector, the WSIBand $1,964.48 for RG 732 for eachconstruction industry, and makes 2018 Provincial Election announced significant reductionsworker earning at or above the IEa number of additional changes to across the sector for its 2019ceiling in 2019. the Ontario Labour Relations Act and Employment Standards Act.OSWCA has been working with several construction associations to challenge and limit the negative impact of the Ontario College of Trades (OCOT) and Bill 148 on our construction sector. Our advocacy work on this file has finally paid off, as the Ford Government followed through with its commitment to dissolve the OCOT and to repeal many of the components of Bill 148 that were negatively impacting the construction sector.OSWCA, as the current Chair of the Ontario Skilled Trades Alliance, has been lobbying the government to properly address many of these issues. The government has responded by, among other things: Dissolving the OCOT over the next six to nine months;8H 2 OSWCA Winter 2018-19'