Though the parliamentary commission on Bill 3 refused to hear several major unions, CUPE members attended the sitting and submitted their position paper, which details the irreparable harm that this legislation would do, if passed, in the lives of Quebec residents. This lack of consideration was all the more insulting given that six groups of invited employer representatives failed to show up at the hearings.
“The MPs had plenty of time to hear our side,” said Patrick Gloutney, president of CUPE Québec.
“This bill is a full attack on Quebec workers. It would limit their human rights and freedoms which, in turn, would skew the balance of power in employers’ favour. The minister makes no secret that he heard business lobbies and even invited them to the sitting, all the while sidelining Canada’s largest union.”
CUPE Québec demands the immediate withdrawal of Bill 3. With its goal to weaken union organizations in Quebec, the bill would further impoverish low-income households, the middle class and all workers, and would slash the protections of our social safety net.
Special consultations were held this week on Bill 3, An Act to improve the transparency, governance and democratic process of various associations in the workplace.