Problems with mandatory WSIB in Ontario (VIDEO): Interview with Jeff Koller, OCFIA
Robert Koci
Videos Canadian Contractor BusinessJeff Koller offers qualified support for the new mandatory WSIB premiums for the Ontario industry
Jeff Koller is a spokesperson (and Industry Enforcement Officer) for the Ontario Construction Finishing Industries Alliance (OCFIA), an organization that was formed as an alliance between a major painting union and management.
Last week we interviewed Jeff about why his organization supports the new Ontario College of Trades. It will, he argues, help to crack down on the underground economy. (See that video here.)
This week, Steve Payne, editor of Canadian Contractor, asks him what he likes about Ontario Bill 119, which in January extended WSIB premiums in Ontario to encompass almost everyone in our business – including independent operators.
“It’s not a perfect piece of legislation. It has some flaws in its language,” Jeff says. But he believes Bill 119 can help “enforcement officers” to go after the cash deal operators.
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Hey Jeff, tell me again how having to pay 13% HST plus 9.1% WSIB is going to minimize the cash economy. Are you kidding me? I think it has pushed more people underground.
I don’t quite understand how anyone can believe increasing someone’s overhead costs improves his chances of competing against someone who has none. The lesson was learned years ago when the province discovered the only way to stop the traffic of cigarettes across the border reserves of Ontario was to REDUCE the taxes on cigarettes here.
Thanks to the excessive cost of doing business with the province many customers are asking contractors to work for cash. Realistically, if you won’t work for cash someone else will.
The free and open market has a way of balancing itself out, if government tips the scale too far in their own favour, the market responds with more business being conducted off of Gov’t radars. This is not rocket science; if people are treated fairly, they will be fairly compliant.
This legislation will do nothing to combat the underground economy. and I feel it will only become worse. Of course the big firms most likely like this legislation as it will no doubt cut back on competition. within their sector.. i have been in business for 40 years and always paid into WSIB for any employee I had during this time. During this period I have seen the underground business expand rapidly with the advent of GST and HST. Also during this period I also had private coverage for myself and family which was much better coverage than WSIB. Meaning there could be an opt out clause for small operators which are a different breed than employees. What makes me laugh (even though it really isn’t a laughing matter) the WSIB became totally disorganized under Elizabeth Witmer when she was labour minister and now the “funny” part …….she was appointed director by the McGuinty Liberals to run it. Government works in mysterious stupid ways sometimes. Now someone explain to me how this legislation will lesson the underground economy? The only way I see anything to impact is to allow a homeowner to deduct a certain percentage of work done on their homes and then they would care about getting receipts for services rendered.
This Jeff Kohler should run for the Liberal party, snake oil salesman.
You mean he is a snake oil salesman? How so? You think he’s bluffing? You think he’s just doing this for fun?