CUPE National President Mark Hancock urged MPs to reject the federal government’s proposed restrictions on the right to strike at the House of Commons Special Committee on Bill C-39 on Tuesday.
“Bill C-39 is an unfair and unnecessary attack on Canadians’ constitutional rights,” said Hancock. “It will make labour relations worse, not better.”
Hancock underlined CUPE’s support for more investment and good jobs in Canada, but rejected the government’s use of the trade war as a smokescreen for eliminating workers’ rights.
“The right to free collective bargaining and the right to strike are enshrined in the Charter precisely for this reason: to protect them from political whims. Charter rights aren’t permissions heavy-handed politicians can revoke.”
He also warned that the legislation is a clear reward for employers who refuse to bargain fairly, by letting them rely on government intervention instead of doing the hard work of negotiating.
“Under Bill C-39, the right to strike will only exist in the abstract. Because a right that can be taken away the instant it’s exercised is not a right at all.”
Hancock also pointed to a recent Quebec labour tribunal ruling that found similar government intervention powers violated workers’ Charter rights.
“The government is in the process of committing a grave and damaging mistake,” said Hancock. “I urge this committee to stop them while there’s still time.”
