Section 3(1)(a) indicates that the Employment Standards Act, 2000 applies to all employees whose work is to be performed in Ontario and their employers. However, the fact that some work is performed in Ontario may be insufficient to bring the employee in under the jurisdiction of the ESA 2000.
Unfair labour practices are acts that interfere with a union's right or ability to represent its members or an employee's right to make up their own mind about whether to support a union. Unfair labour practices also include acts by unions that interfere with an employer's right to operate its business.
Workers, however, have the power to protect their health and safety. Ontario law spells out the three rights that give workers this power: the right to know, the right to participate, and the right to refuse. Workers have the right to know about workplace health and safety hazards.
The Ontario Labour Relations Act (OLRA) governs the relationship between unions and employers in most Ontario workplaces. Among other things, it covers the process for bringing a union into a workplace (organizing) and negotiating a first contract (collective bargaining).