“Everyone knows that fair negotiations require a level playing field, with give and take from both sides. Collective bargaining is no exception. After all, why would an Employer put forward their best offer when they know you can’t push back?
This question underscores the real risk of the Carney government’s recently introduced Bill C-39. If passed, this legislation could impact more than 14,000 PSAC members working under the Canadian Labour Code, including over 80 bargaining units across the three Northern territories. These workers could be prevented from ever being able to exercise their right to strike.
Right now, the federal Labour Minister has broad authority to interfere with work stoppages simply by sending an email. This is something workers have been fighting to get rid of, but Bill C-39 would normalize this mechanism and make it the law, giving the Minister explicit power to terminate strikes and impose binding dispute resolution based solely on their “opinion” of what is in the national interest, without ever having to be accountable to Parliament or to workers.
We have a right to bargain for fair contracts, wage increases that keep up with the cost of living, and safer workplaces. But if an Employer knows that a strike can be stopped before it even starts, they have zero incentive to negotiate fairly. Put another way, what’s the point of having the right to strike if you can’t use it?
The Prime Minister says he wants a stronger country, but taking away our bargaining rights only makes us weaker. PSAC North members know that such a blatant attack on workers cannot stand. We are demanding that Mark Carney keep his hands off our bargaining rights, and we will continue to fight on behalf of all workers in the North and across the country.”
– Josée-Anne Spirito, Regional Executive Vice-President, PSAC North