The Kahnawà:ke Labor Office (KLO) wishes to inform the community that it will hold a series of consultations with members of the local Construction Industry to discuss the proposed Kahnawà:ke Labor Code. While the KLO has been encouraged by the strong support it has received so far, KLO Director Jeff Morris reminds the community that the success of a law designed to protect the health and safety of workers will depend on creating a document that meets everyone’s needs.
“It is vitally important that we hear from the organizations and businesses that employ our workforce,” Morris stated. “While there are many types of industries, construction is one that entails more risks than others. In our first round of consultations, we spoke generally with contractors, who supported the need for Kahnawà:ke’s own jurisdiction in terms of occupational health & safety; workplace accidents & occupational diseases; and labor standards. Moving forward, we need to work together to ensure the needs of workers are enhanced, while respecting factors such as costs, training and implementation with business owners.”
Input was received at a kiosk specifically geared towards contractors held this past Thursday and will assist in preparing for upcoming Consultation sessions scheduled over the next several weeks to receive feedback from those in the Construction Industry. Dates, times and locations are as follows:
- Tuesday, November 4 – Golden Age Club, 1pm to 4pm
- Tuesday, November 18 – Kahnawà:ke Labor Office, 6:30pm to 8:30pm
- Thursday, December 4 – Golden Age Club, from 11am to 3pm
“We have been reaching out to those involved in the industry,” Morris added. “Due to busy schedules, it was felt that offering several dates would be a good option – as participation is essential.”
In the meantime, the Technical Drafting Team has begun the task of creating a suitable draft. This second round of consultations is being conducted to ensure the support indicated during the initial round is consistent. This is being done in conjunction with the requirements of the Community Decision Making & Review Process.
“As stated earlier, our objective is to ensure that the community’s feedback and ideas are incorporated into a landmark labor document that will reflect both fairness and strength. Together, the goal is to improve workers’ rights, job safety, and business market outcomes,” Morris concluded.
