An Ontario labour group says it is advocating for more robust worker protections amid growing health concerns over poor air quality as wildfire smoke blankets the province with increasing frequency.
The Ontario Federation of Labour, which represents more than 55 unions across the province, says the push is part of a broader heat stress strategy looking at how climate change is impacting working conditions.
Its president Laura Walton said provincial regulations outline winter temperature benchmarks to protect workers from the cold, but there are no such protections from the heat or poor air quality. The federation is working with the provincial New Democrats to introduce a motion in the legislature this fall advocating for better worker protections amid increasing extreme weather events, she said.