TORONTO, Ont. – The Ontario government is proposing new legislation that would amend the province’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (WSIA), the Fire Prevention and Protection Act and the Public Sector Labour Relations Transition Act if passed. According to a May 28 press release from the Ministry of Labour, the Employment and Labour Statute Law Amendment Act, 2015 would help to protect workers’ rights by: calculating survivor benefits based on the deceased worker’s occupation at the time of his or her diagnosis; prohibiting employers from preventing employees from reporting injuries or illnesses to the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board; raising the maximum corporate fine for WSIA offences from $100,000 to $500,000; and having the Ontario Labour Relations Board – rather than provincial courts – settle labour disputes, particularly for the firefighting industry. “Our government is committed to advancing safe, fair and respectful workplace practices,” said Labour Minister Kevin Flynn in a statement. “That’s why I’ve proposed these changes, which will, if they become law, provide increased fairness to workers.”