Queen's Park, March 26, 2018 – After meeting with local owners of the London Brewing Co-operative, London West MPP Peggy Sattler slammed Kathleen Wynne for failing to provide group benefit plan supports to local businesses. The small brewing co-op applauded the Ontario NDP Dental Care for Everyone plan, saying it would enable them to provide employees with long-overdue access to dental coverage.
“The owners have always wanted to provide their employees with dental coverage – they’ve investigated group plans, but the cost has always been prohibitive. They are good employers, they give back to the community, they want to do the right thing by the people who count on them,” said Sattler. “Why hasn’t the premier helped them offer their employees dental coverage in her 15 years in office?”
Every three minutes in Ontario, someone goes to an emergency room or doctor with a dental problem. And one in three working people do not have access to a workplace benefits plan. The Ontario New Democrats’ Dental Care for Everyone plan would require employers to provide affordable health benefits to workers in the same way they have with pensions, employment insurance and workers compensation -- either through a new government-administered plan called Ontario Benefits, or a comparable workplace plan. Seniors and those on social assistance will be covered by a new public dental plan.
“One of the owners, Aaron, said that the NDP plan, Ontario Benefits, would mean they could finally offer employee dental coverage and really be able to compete for the best talent out there,” said Sattler. “In their 15 years in office – why hasn’t the Liberal government made it easier for employers to offer dental benefits to their staff?
“Why are there still businesses like the London Brewing Co-operative unable to offer their employees dental benefits even though they want to?” Sattler asked.
The NDP’s proposed Dental Care for Everyone plan would deliver basic dental benefits to every Ontarian – regardless of age, income, job or health status – either through work, or with their health card covering over 4.5 million Ontarians that have no coverage right now.