Leah Gazan, Winnipeg Centre
“I want the government to stop Bill C-39 and pass my bill instead. Bill C-39 gives the labour minister more power to shut down strikes, which violates workers' constitutional rights to strike and bargain. The government is siding with big corporations instead of protecting workers.”
“Mr. Speaker, earlier this year on International Workers’ Day, I asked the Liberal government why it continued refusing to support my bill, NDP Bill C-247, to repeal section 107 and stop violations against workers’ right to strike. This bill is supported by workers and unions across Canada. In response, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Jobs deflected her government’s failures and advised that consultations were ongoing concerning changes to the Labour Code. Today, the cat is out of the bag. We learned that the Liberal government has done these consultations and is putting forward an omnibus bill, Bill C-39, trying to turn back the clock on workers’ fundamental rights by expanding the minister’s ability to shut down a strike and violate workers’ rights whenever the Liberals and their CEO buddies deem it inconvenient, as we saw with port workers, flight attendants and rail workers. Of course, they did consult with the CEOs who will benefit. It is not only a historic insult to workers, but also an immense threat to workers’ constitutional rights. We know that right now there are countless families, communities and individuals being devastated by Trump’s tariffs. Nobody is arguing with that. Nobody is arguing that we are not in a cost of living crisis. Instead of addressing this, the government is siding with CEOs, and instead of giving workers the relief they need to lift up their rights as workers, the Liberals have caved into the wish lists of corporations across this country by pushing forward Bill C-39 and violating their constitutional obligations to uphold the rights of workers, the rights of indigenous peoples and important environmental laws, even after a summer of disastrous wildfires during which we saw communities and homes literally burn to the ground. This past summer, the Liberal government saw what was going on, and once again it has doubled down in favour of its corporate buddies. I want to be clear that workers do not want to strike. Who wants to go on strike to get a reduction in pay, be out of work and be more financially worse off than they are when they are working and being ripped off by the Liberals’ corporate friends? Workers have rights, and these rights are protected in international law. The right of workers to walk off the job in solidarity is the only collective means to push back against powerful corporations and CEOs as the Liberal government lines its pockets. This so-called Canada strong plan is being built off the backs of people, workers, indigenous people, our environment and a livable planet. The NDP is very firm in its belief that we must protect the rights of workers. We must protect workers’ rights, and that includes the right to strike and free and collective bargaining.”
Mr. Speaker, earlier this year on International Workers’ Day, I asked the Liberal government why it continued refusing to support my bill, NDP Bill C-247, to repeal section 107 and stop violations against workers’ right to strike. This bill is supported by workers and unions across Canada. In response, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Jobs deflected her government’s failures and advised that consultations were ongoing concerning changes to the Labour Code. Today, the cat is out of the bag. We learned that the Liberal government has done these consultations and is putting forward an omnibus bill, Bill C-39, trying to turn back the clock on workers’ fundamental rights by expanding the minister’s ability to shut down a strike and violate workers’ rights whenever the Liberals and their CEO buddies deem it inconvenient, as we saw with port workers, flight attendants and rail workers. Of course, they did consult with the CEOs who will benefit. It is not only a historic insult to workers, but also an immense threat to workers’ constitutional rights. We know that right now there are countless families, communities and individuals being devastated by Trump’s tariffs. Nobody is arguing with that. Nobody is arguing that we are not in a cost of living crisis. Instead of addressing this, the government is siding with CEOs, and instead of giving workers the relief they need to lift up their rights as workers, the Liberals have caved into the wish lists of corporations across this country by pushing forward Bill C-39 and violating their constitutional obligations to uphold the rights of workers, the rights of indigenous peoples and important environmental laws, even after a summer of disastrous wildfires during which we saw communities and homes literally burn to the ground. This past summer, the Liberal government saw what was going on, and once again it has doubled down in favour of its corporate buddies. I want to be clear that workers do not want to strike. Who wants to go on strike to get a reduction in pay, be out of work and be more financially worse off than they are when they are working and being ripped off by the Liberals’ corporate friends? Workers have rights, and these rights are protected in international law. The right of workers to walk off the job in solidarity is the only collective means to push back against powerful corporations and CEOs as the Liberal government lines its pockets. This so-called Canada strong plan is being built off the backs of people, workers, indigenous people, our environment and a livable planet. The NDP is very firm in its belief that we must protect the rights of workers. We must protect workers’ rights, and that includes the right to strike and free and collective bargaining.
