NDP, labour leaders defend right to strike ahead of Parliament debate

NDP, labour leaders defend right to strike ahead of Parliament debate

OTTAWA - As Prime Minister Carney considers sweeping changes to Canada's labour laws, New Democrats and labour leaders gathered on Parliament Hill today to defend workers' right to strike.

Ahead of debate on Bill C-247, the NDP bill to repeal Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, labour leaders from across Canada joined NDP Leader Avi Lewis and MP Leah Gazan, who is sponsoring the bill, to call for an end to federal strike-breaking powers.

The Liberal government has repeatedly used Section 107 to end legal strikes, including at Air Canada, Canada Post, CN and CPKC Rail, and at ports in British Columbia and Quebec.

Today's debate on Bill C-247 also comes as the federal government concludes a lightning round of consultations on potential changes to the Labour Code, and days after the International Court of Justice ruled that the right to strike is protected under international law.

Lewis warned that Prime Minister Carney "will have the fight of his political life" if his government moves to restrict - or worse eliminate - workers' right to strike.

Ahead of the press conference, dozens of labour leaders and supporters joined the NDP caucus meeting, where Lewis reiterated his party's support for the labour movement and pledged to fight the Liberals' agenda of privatization, cuts, and deregulation.

QUOTES:

Avi Lewis, Leader of Canada's NDP, said:

"Our country doesn't belong to the CEOs. It doesn't belong to the bankers. It belongs to the workers who built it. The right to strike isn't an inconvenience, but an essential part of living in a free society. Section 107 is a flagrant disregard of workers' constitutional rights. And I call upon MPs from all parties to stand with workers and support Bill C-247."

Leah Gazan, NDP MP for Winnipeg Centre, said:

"I put forward my NDP Bill C-247 for a simple reason: workers' right to strike is a cornerstone of democracy, one which has been affirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada and the UN International Court of Justice. The Liberals must uphold workers' fundamental right to strike for a fair deal and repeal Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code."

Siobhán Vipond, Executive Vice-President at the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), said:

"The world's highest court has settled the debate: the right to strike is a fundamental right. It is not a privilege, and it is not something governments can set aside when it becomes inconvenient. Every time governments intervene in a legal strike, they undermine free collective bargaining and send a message that employers can wait for political intervention instead of negotiating a fair deal. Bill C-247 is an opportunity to draw a line in the sand, restore balance to the bargaining process, and make it clear that workers' rights must be protected, respected, and upheld."

Jan Simpson, President of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), said:

"Bill C-247 sends an unequivocal message: workers' constitutional rights are not negotiable and cannot be undermined under any circumstances. Free collective bargaining, as entrenched and protected by the Charter, must be upheld without exception. Workers deserve the fundamental freedom to negotiate fair and equitable contracts free from political interference."

Natasha Stea, President of Local 4901 at the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE Air Canada Component), said:

"Protecting the voice of the underrepresented is not a threat to prosperity. It is the foundation of it. Parliament now has a choice: it can maintain the status quo and an unfair law that weakens the Charter, or it can pass Bill C-247 to repeal Section 107 and proudly reaffirm our values and show that fairness is the foundation of a thriving economy."

Rob Ashton, Former President of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), said:

"Government use of Section 107 empowers employers not to bargaining with unions. This adds to the deteriorating employee/employer relationships in federally regulated workplaces."