Labour changes in Bill C-39 garners mixed reviews
· Toronto Sun
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OTTAWA — Changes to the Canada Labour Code are getting a mix of plaudits and pushback from labour and business leaders.
In a statement this week, Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) president Dan Kelly said he looks forward to reviewing the proposed changes to the code, saying the government appears to be moving in the right direction, ensuring labour disputes don’t put Canada’s economy at risk.
“Work stoppages in federally regulated workplaces (such as ports, railways, airlines and Canada Post) do not just affect this handful of large employers and their workers,” he said.
“Hundreds of thousands of small businesses and millions of workers in the broader economy are affected when labour disputes happen. Recent strikes and lockouts have cost small business billions. The recent Canada Post strikes alone cost small business owners around $100 million per day in lost productivity and delays.”
Indeed, Canadian business owners were hit especially hard during years of labour uncertainty from Canada Post, with the late 2024 strike costing small and medium-sized businesses over $1.6 billion and prompting nearly three-quarters of business owners to permanently reduce or eliminate their reliance on the postal system for shipping.
Changes remove workers’ right to strike, say critics
Tabled in the House of Commons on Monday , Bill C-39 — the Building Canada Strong Act — is the government’s sweeping omnibus bill designed to fast-track major infrastructure and “nation-building” projects by setting strict one-year caps on impact assessments and permit approvals.
That includes changes to the Canada Labour Code creating frameworks to allow Cabinet to summarily extend expired contracts, order striking workers back to work, and force binding arbitration if the strike poses “significant adverse national impact.”
A statement issued Wednesday by the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) welcomed the measures, saying that labour stability protects jobs and strengthens Canada’s reputation as a reliable trading partner.
“Allowing the Canada Industrial Relations Board to consider an employer-initiated application for geographic certification, and creating a new Special Mediator, will help promote meaningful collective bargaining,” said association CEO Mike Leonard.
“Together, these changes will protect industry bargaining and help stabilize the bargaining framework at Canada’s largest maritime gateway.”
Unions, however, say that expediency comes with a steep price.
Tom Doran, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU,) said the changes would make it impossible for workers to exercise their right to strike.
“Bill C-39 would also infringe on longshore workers’ freedom of association by letting employers ask the Canada Industrial Relations Board to redraw bargaining units established by our members,” he said, adding that only unions should be able to make that application.
“Our members move more than $500 billion in goods through Canada’s West Coast ports every year. Labour stability rests on agreements reached at the table, and the constitutionally protected right to strike is what gives both parties a reason to reach a deal. This legislation amounts to an attack on our members’ fundamental rights.”
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