MRCO and MPP Paul Miller, Hamilton East-Stoney Creek 'Discuss Solutions to The Underground Economy'

TORONTO, April 13, 2021 /CNW/ - The Millwright Regional Council of Ontario met with MPP Paul Miller for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek on Monday, April 12 to discuss tax fraud and the underground economy in Ontario's construction industry, and ways to partner together on this issue.

A study commissioned in 2019 by Ontario Construction Secretariat points out that only 22% of 'Independent Operators' are registered with the WSIB. Close to 84,000 independent operators are not paying WSIB premiums.

As a dedicated labour rights activist, MPP Paul Miller has taken the lead on many initiatives that rely on funding, particularly WSIB and economic development. Imagine what more we could do if everyone paid their fair share.

As stated by Don Schultz, MRCO Director of Organizing, "Contractors that achieve a competitive advantage by styling their employees as independent operators enjoy an unfair advantage over contractors that comply with their WSIB and tax obligations."

According to Statistics Canada, the total value of underground economic activity in 2018 was highest in the four largest economies: Ontario ($22.8 billion), Quebec ($14.2 billion), British Columbia ($10.8 billion) and Alberta ($6.2 billion). These four economies accounted for 88.4% of total underground economy, while the total GDP created by these four provinces accounted for 87.1% of total economy.

We are pleased with MPP Miller's support to end construction industry tax fraud and working together towards solutions that reign in the underground economy.

The UBC Tax Fraud Days of Action is taking place across Canada and the United States April 14-17, 2021 to bring awareness to the issues of tax fraud and the underground economy. Learn more www.stopthefraud.ca

About the Millwright Regional Council of Ontario (MRCO)

The Millwright Regional Council of Ontario (MRCO) is composed of eight affiliated Local Unions of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) across the Province of Ontario. We represent thousands of woman and men working as progressive cross-trained construction and maintenance professionals with exceptional skills to install, maintain, diagnose, and repair precision machinery, UBC millwrights are vital partners in industries as diverse as energy, automotive, aerospace, food processing, pharmaceuticals and more.

SOURCE Millwright Regional Council of Ontario (MRCO)

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