The IAM Union is deeply concerned about the labour provisions contained in Bill C-39 and what they could mean for workers across Canada.
The federal government says the legislation will strengthen collective bargaining and protect the right to strike. But provisions that expand government intervention in labour disputes could shift the balance of power away from workers and make it harder for them to use collective bargaining to secure better wages, safer workplaces and good, secure jobs.
“Canadian workers are the lifeblood of this country. We cannot win a trade war by weakening workers’ rights. A stronger Canada means standing up for the people who keep our country moving”, said David Chartrand, General Vice-President of the IAM Union in Canada.
Canada is facing significant economic uncertainty and pressure from global trade disputes. This is precisely when workers need strong collective bargaining rights and a meaningful voice in their workplaces, not measures that could give government greater authority to intervene in legal labour disputes.
“Building a stronger and more independent Canada means investing in Canadian workers and Canadian communities. It means creating good union jobs, strengthening domestic industries and ensuring that the people who build, maintain and operate Canada’s infrastructure can share in the prosperity they help create”, Chartrand added.
For the IAM Union, economic sovereignty must include the ability of Canadian workers to have a real say in their working conditions and their future. Canada’s economic strength cannot be measured only by investment, major projects or trade corridors. It must also be measured by the quality of the jobs created and whether workers have the rights and protections needed to benefit from that growth.
Nation-building must not come at the expense of workers’ rights or collective bargaining and Canadian workers are not separate from Canada’s economic success. They are the foundation of it.
A stronger and more independent Canada must be built with workers, with strong unions and with respect for the rights that generations of Canadians fought to establish.
