Download a PDF version of the policy​

​​​​​​​Application

• The Toronto Community Housing Fair Wage Policy shall apply to all construction contracts with Toronto Community Housing.
• The Toronto Community Housing Fair Wage Policy shall also apply to all general classification contracts for services with Toronto Community Housing.
• Every contractor and sub-contractor shall be required to pay in total value an amount equal to or greater than those wages and benefits as set out in the Fair Wage Schedule of the Toronto Community Housing Fair Wage Policy.
• The provisions of the Fair Wage Policy apply equally to contractors and all sub-contractors engaged in work for Toronto Community Housing. A contractor is fully responsible for ensuring that all of its sub-contractors comply with the Fair Wage Policy and the Fair Wage Schedule. It is understood that contractors cannot sub-contract work to any sub-contractor at a rate lower than that established by this policy. Contractors or general contractors will be responsible for any violation or non-compliance issues arising form the engagement of any sub-contractor on Toronto Community Housing work.
• The fair wage rates do not apply to:

1. Small businesses, typically those with owner operators, or partnerships, or principals of companies where these small businesses undertake the work themselves, and
2. Not for profit organizations that operate social purpose enterprise businesses who meet the following criteria:

• The organization has a clear mandate and is able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of Toronto Community Housing the specific benefits that have been directly conferred through the employment of individuals who have been confronted with systematic barriers to employment and face challenges in regards to their overall productivity when compared to workers who are not otherwise at risk or marginalized.
• They are able to demonstrate that their employees have sustainable employment and that their economic situation will improve in a material way as a result of employment through a contract with Toronto Community Housing, and
• They agree to work towards ensuring that at least 20% of their workforce will be recruited from Toronto Community Housing Communities.

Definitions

Workers

"Workers" means those persons employed by the contractor or sub-contractor in positions, classifications or trades identified in the Fair Wage Schedule for the performance of work on a contract with Toronto Community Housing.

Fair Wage Schedule

"Fair Wage Schedule" means the published schedule of wages and benefits for the performance of construction work on Toronto Community Housing construction contracts and the performance of work set out in the general classifications,

Benefits

"Benefits" means a pension plan or RRSP's (or equivalent), major medical plans, dental plans including vacation/holiday pay or an appropriate amount in lieu thereof as set out in the Fair Wage Schedule.

Contractor

"Contractor" means any person, firm or corporation having a contract with Toronto Community Housing for the performance of work but does not include any person, firm or corporation that only supplies materials for the contract.

Sub-contractor

"Sub-contractor" means any person, firm or corporation performing work under an agreement with a contractor having a contract with Toronto Community Housing or an agreement under the contractor with another sub-contractor for the performance of work but does not include any person, firm or corporation that only supplies materials for the contract.

Wages

"Wages" or "rates of wages" means the basic hourly rate of pay as set out in the Fair Wage Schedule.

Fair Wage Policy and Provisions

• Toronto Community Housing shall notify every person bidding on Toronto Community Housing contracts of the existence of this Fair Wage Policy (and the Fair Wage Schedule) and shall provide copes of the same to such bidders.
• The contractor and its sub-contractor shall be responsible for only those Fair Wage Schedule rates that exist as of the closing date of any tender.
• For all applicable contracts with Toronto Community Housing, the contractor shall provide to Toronto Community Housing, in a form acceptable to Toronto Community Housing, a sworn statement confirming that the contractor and its sub-contractor(s) intend to comply with the Fair Wage Policy and Fair Wage Schedule and are in compliance with the Fair Wage Policy and the Fair Wage Schedule. These sworn statements shall be provided to Toronto Community Housing:

1. prior to the contract being awarded;
2. along with any request for progress payments; and
3. With respect to construction contracts, after substantial performance of the construction contract (as defined in the Construction Lien Act of Ontario) and prior to release of any hold back

• Toronto Community Housing reserves the right not to release all or part of any payment or any hold back on any contract until such contractor's applicable sworn statement of compliance is received and found to be satisfactory by Toronto Community Housing.
• The contractor or sub-contractor shall attach to all accounts rendered for payment of money upon the contract a record of payment to workers in compliance with this policy along with a statutory declaration affirming that the requirements of this policy have been fully complied with, including the employee notification requirement as set out in paragraph 22, by both itself and any sub-contractor providing services on the contract.
• The contractor shall pay or cause to be paid weekly or biweekly to every worker employed in the execution of the contract wages at the following rates:

1. where the contractor or sub-contractor is in a contractual relationship with a Union recognized by the Ontario Labour Relations Board as the bargaining agent for the relevant workers, the applicable rate of wages set out in the collective agreement; and
2. where Toronto Community Housing is in a contractual relationship with a Union, as set out in the Fair Wage Schedule, the applicable rate of wages set out in the collective agreement; and
3. where there is no such contractual relationship, a rate not less than that set out for such work in the Schedule of Wage Rates as determined from time to time and published by Toronto Community Housing (hereinafter call the "Toronto Community Housing Fair Wage Schedule")

• ​The contractor or subcontractor shall comply with the Ontario Human RightsCode and without limiting the generality of the foregoing shall not discriminate against workers or applicants for employment as workers because of race, creed, colour, national origin, political or religious affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family relationship and disability.
• The contractor or subcontractor shall at all times comply with Toronto Community Housing's On-Site Health and Safety Policy and the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations and take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of workers. If the contractor sub-contracts any or all of the work to be performed, the contractor will ensure the sub-contractors are qualified to perform the work or services and comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations.

Records​

• Toronto Community Housing has the authority to request any information respecting wages or workers, names of workers, records of amounts paid to each, paysheets, original books, etc. that may be desired by Toronto Community Housing in connection with the work completed by a contractor or a sub-contractor.
• The contractor shall:

1. at all times keep a list of the names, addresses, wages paid, benefits paid or provided and hours worked for all of its employees of all workers employed in the work and a record of the amounts paid to each;
2. from time to time, if demanded by Toronto Community Housing, provide a certified copy of all paysheets, lists, records, books or any other document or thing relating to the contractors employees and keep the originals thereof open at all times for examination by Toronto Community Housing; and
3. at all times furnish and disclose to Toronto Community Housing any other information respecting wages of workers that may be desired by Toronto Community Housing in connection with the contracted work.

• The contractor shall, in any agreement with a sub-contractor, require the sub-contractor to,

1. keep records of the names, addresses, wages paid, benefits paid or provided and hours worked for all of its employees;
2. make these records available for inspection by Toronto Community Housing upon request by Toronto Community Housing; and
3. require its sub-contractor to assume the same obligations in relation to their own employees.

• When requested, the contractor or sub-contractor shall be required to provide the records referred to in paragraphs 13 and 14 within thirty (30) calendar days of the date Toronto Community Housing provides notice of such request.

Complaints and Enforcement

• Toronto Community Housing shall have the authority to receive and investigate complaints as to any matter or thing relating to this Policy. All complaints must be submitted in writing to the Director, Labour Relations of Toronto Community Housing no later than thirty (30) days following the substantial performance of the:

1. relevant Toronto Community Housing contract where a complaint is being made against a contractor; or
2. relevant sub-contract to a Toronto Community Housing contract where a complaint is being made against a sub-contractor.

• Toronto Community Housing shall have the authority to waive the timelines set out in paragraph 16 above where it considers appropriate, and may investigate any claim made under this policy for a period of six months following the substantial completion of a contract.
• In case of any dispute as to the rate of wages to be paid under the contract or as to the amount to be paid to any worker pursuant to the Toronto Community Housing Fair Wage Policy, the decision of Toronto Community Housing shall be final and binding upon all parties.
• Where a contractor is found to be in non-compliance of the Fair Wage Policy and the Fair Wage Schedule, Toronto Community Housing shall refuse to accept bids, quotations or proposals from such contractor on Toronto Community Housing contracts, until such time as it is satisfied that the matter giving rise to the complaint has been satisfactorily resolved.
• Where a sub-contractor is found to be in non-compliance of the Fair Wage Policy and the Fair Wage Schedule, Toronto Community Housing shall refuse to allow such sub-contractor from performing any work for Toronto Community Housing until such time as it is satisfied that the matter giving rise to the complaint has been satisfactorily resolved.

Disqualification Provisions

• Where a contractor or any sub-contractor is found to be in non-compliance with the provision of the Fair Wage Policy on two (2) separate occasions within any consecutive three (3) year period, the Director of Labour Relations will recommend to the Board of Directors that the said contractor or sub-contractor be disqualified from conducting business with Toronto Community Housing or any of its subsidiaries for a period of two (2) consecutive years.
• Following the disqualification period as set out in paragraph 22 above, should the said contractor or sub-contractor be found to be non compliant with the Fair Wage Policy Within the one (1) year period immediately following the expiry of the initial two (2) year disqualification period, the Director of Employee Services and Labour Relations shall recommend to the Board of Directors that the said contractor or sub-contractor be disqualified from conducting business with Toronto Community Housing or any of its subsidiaries on a permanent bases.
• The names of all contractors and sub-contractors who have been disqualified from conducting business with Toronto Community Housing shall have the name of their firm posted on Toronto Community Housing's website.
• Once five (5) years has elapsed since either a contractor or sub-contractor has been disqualified pursuant to paragraph 24 above, the contractor or sub-contractor as the case may be may then apply to Toronto Community Housing to have their eligibility to bid on Toronto Community Housing work reinstated.

​Posting and Distribution Requirements

• The contractor and any sub-contractor shall use all reasonable efforts to post and keep posted a copy of this "Fair Wage Policy" in a conspicuous place in every workplace of the contractor and sub-contractor. Additionally, each contractor and sub-contractor shall provide to each employee a copy of the Toronto Community Housing Fair Wage Policy and the Fair Wage Schedule along with the employee's first pay cheque performed under a construction contract.

Report to Board of Directors

• Toronto Community Housing shall provide an annual report to the Board of Directors that shall include but is not limited to such information as the operation and enforcement of the Fair Wage Policy.

​​​​Fair Wage Policy

Residential Work

2006

​Fair Wage Schedule

​*I.C.I. Work

2006

*Industrial, Commercial, Instituitional

​Fair Wage Schedule

General Classifications

2006