Unifor President Jerry Dias is condemning a provincial government review of personal emergency leave for auto workers.

Under Ontario’s ‘Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act’ workers are entitled to 10 days of personal emergency leave, with the first two days being paid leave.  However, auto workers are only entitled to seven days of unpaid leave.

Dias says that simply isn’t fair, “Whether or not I'm working in an auto assembly plant or whether I'm working in an auto parts plant, we have children, we have family. We have the same type of frustrations and challenges. So for one whole industry to be excluded just reeks, just reeks of discrimination. “

When the exemption was confirmed by the government last December, Unifor launched a campaign to advocate for fairness.

The union says, to date, they've collected more than 7,000 signatures on a petition calling on the Ontario Government to eliminate the personal emergency leave exemption for auto workers.

Dias addressed the issue after attending a rally on behalf of striking Caesars Windsor workers.