Tradespeople concerned with proposed changes to the laws governing Ontario’s College of Trades took their message to Guelph on Friday.

Dozens of people protested outside the office of Guelph MPP Liz Sandals.

They said their biggest concern is that the province is looking to allow the Ontario Labour Relations Board to overrule the college in cases involving uncertified workers.

“It waters down the trades,” said George Couch of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 804.

“It’s going to really hurt the enforcement part of the College of Trades, and we have grave concerns about that. It’s a public safety issue as well as a worker safety issue.”

The protesters said they were concerned that the new rules could lead to unlicenced contractors doing skills trades work without having undergone the proper training.

The Guelph protest was one of four held across Ontario on Friday.

Bill 70 – the bill the trades workers are upset with – has already received royal assent, meaning nothing stands in the way of it becoming law.

With reporting by Abigail Bimman