Dean Review leads to Ontario College of Trades reforms Employers and Labourers’ Union like changes in compulsory certification, apprenticeship ratio reviews, scope of practice and enforcement processes Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer Tony Dean’s review of the Ontario College of Trades (OCOT) will result in changes that address the concerns of non-union employers and the labour- ers’ union, especially in critical areas such as scopes of practice and the cri- teria and processes to be applied for apprenticeship ratio reviews and com- pulsory certification applications. Ontario’s government has an- nounced it will accept Dean’s recom- mendations and “will bring forward proposed legislative changes in the spring legislative session and will work closely with the College of Trades” to implement the recommendations, ac- cording to a government news release. Not surprisingly, industry reaction diverges, with the Labourers’ Interna- tional Union of North America Local (LiUNA) speaking out in favour of the decision, along with the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON). Meanwhile, both the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario (CDCO) have ex- pressed dismay with the recommenda- tions and the fact that the government is preparing to implement them with- out further consultation or negotia- tions. The IBEW Construction Council of Ontario (IBEW CCO) issued a news re- lease shortly after the report was re- leased on Nov. 20, saying it is extremely disappointed in the govern- ment’s decision, announced when Training, Colleges and University Min- ister Reza Moridi released Dean’s rec- ommendations. “We expected the government would invite comments on Dean’s pro- posal so there could be broad industry consultation and acceptance. Instead, we are being told this is the way it’s going to be,” said John Grimshaw, ex- ecutive secretary treasurer for the IBEW CCO. “We are very concerned that there are significant changes being pro- posed in the Dean Report that will af- fect us and other trades,” Grimshaw said. “Yet, the industry is being pre- sented with the report without the op- portunity to comment on significant changes that will affect us. That is a mistake.” Notably, the proposed changes will remove the decision making power for compulsory certification from review boards that could be stacked with rep- resentatives of self-interested organi- zations, and makes safety the key criteria for any decision to implement compulsory certification requirements. The original certification/review process aroused the ire of the Labour- The Canadian Design and Construction Report — January 2016 – 5