Workers are warning Members of Parliament that Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act, will fuel labour unrest.
They delivered the message at nearly three dozen rallies outside MPs constituency offices across the country on Thursday, including Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Pauline Rochefort’s North Bay office.
The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) says some of the country’s largest unions are pledging to defy proposed restrictions on the right to strike.
“These changes will increase labour unrest across Canada,” says Bea Bruske, CLC President. “The government cannot credibly claim to be protecting labour stability while introducing legislation that will make disputes harder to resolve and more disruptive.”
The union says Bill C-39 would give the federal labour minister sweeping new powers to end legal strikes based solely on the minister’s opinion that a work stoppage could be contrary to the national interest.
They add nearly 95 percent of federally regulated labour disputes are resolved without a work stoppage.
CLC warns giving employers reason to expect government intervention will encourage them to hold out at the bargaining table, making agreements harder to reach and increasing the likelihood of conflict.
Bill C-39 passed second reading in the House of Commons earlier this month and was referred to committee.
Rochefort was one of the 296 ‘yea’ votes, as both the Liberal government and opposition Conservatives supported the bill.
