The Kahnawà:ke Labor Office (KLO) wishes to advise the community that the proposed Kahnawà:ke Labor Code will proceed to the Community Decision Making & Review Process as a Type 2 Law. This was confirmed by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) at the duly-convened Council meeting on Monday, 4 Seskéha/August 2025.
The Law was initially proposed in 2011. After many delays, the revised proposal was accepted by the Kahnawà:ke Legislative Commission in April 2024 and, after due diligence, finally reached the stage where it will now formally be brought to the community for their consideration and input. Information gathered during the first phase of direct consultations will be used as the starting point for more detailed work with the various stakeholders, with the goal being to present a draft law for ratification in the months to come.
“For many reasons it has taken many years to get to this point,” said KLO Director Jeff Morris. “One of the main factors was the need to have bodies empowered to administer the law and resolve disputes, which has now been completed. So now, together with working people, community organizations and business owners, we will create legislation that will support the working person by providing the framework for ensuring that their safety and health are not just concepts or nice ideas.”
“As someone whose career path includes work in the field of safety, I think this is an exciting time,” added Ratsénhaienhs David Diabo, who holds the Labor portfolio for the MCK. “During the initial phase of consultation that began last fall, we observed that the participants were either strongly or generally in agreement that a law is needed.”
The purpose of the proposed Law is to regulate all matters related to 1) workplace accidents and occupational diseases, 2) occupational health & safety, and 3) labor standards.
“The report of the work that has been completed so far, and details regarding the concepts and purpose of the law are beyond the scope of this press release,” stated Ratsénhaienhs Diabo. “The information will be made available to the community, and we will embark of a new round of information-sharing and consultation moving forward.”
