“Prime
Minister Trudeau, we’re calling on you to keep your election promise
by sending Bill C-4 back to the Senate in its original form,” said
Francois Laporte, the President of Teamsters Canada. “You mustn’t
allow an unelected Senate to put the interests of corporations ahead
of the will of an elected government.”
What is automatic card check
certification?
Automatic card check certification allowed
federal workers to from a union after a majority of staff members in
a given workplace signed a union membership card. It meant that
workers could safely form unions, unbeknownst to unfair and
sometimes abusive employers.
In 2014, the Conservative government introduced
a new mandatory vote regime, which forced a vote on union
representation after enough workers had signed a union membership
card. Employers were notified in advance of such votes, giving them
enough time to launch anti-union intimidation campaigns in the
workplace.
Later, the public learnt that the Conservative
government had studies showing that using a mandatory vote regime
was one of the best ways to weaken unions in the Canadian business
sector.
How Liberals described their promise on
C-4
The Liberal Party of Canada promised to grant
workers automatic card check certification during the last
elections. Their platform went as far recognizing that in recent
years it had become “more difficult for workers to organize freely,
bargain collectively in good faith, and work in safe environments.”
In his mandate letter to Labour Minister
Patricia Hajdu, Justin Trudeau characterized Bill C-4 as “a critical
step for our government in restoring a fair and balanced approach to
labour relations”.
Minister Hajdu has publicly acknowledged that
“employer interference and, more so, fear of employer interference
is a real phenomenon” for workers trying to form a union. She added
that the system introduced by the Conservative government “helps
companies fight [union] certification campaigns.”
Teamsters Canada represents 125,000 members
in Canada in all industries, including 4,000 members in the trucking
industry in Quebec and 16,000 members in Canada. The International
Brotherhood of Teamsters, with which Teamsters Canada is affiliated,
has 1.4 million members in North America, including 60,000 members
in road transportation.
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Information:
Stéphane Lacroix, Director of Public
Relations
Cell: 514-609-5101
Post date: April 14, 2017
