Evidence of meeting #63 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was changes.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:25 p.m.
Director, Government and Political Affairs, United Food and Commerical Workers Union
Oh, sorry. I thought you said Mr. Oakey.
12:25 p.m.
Director, Government and Political Affairs, United Food and Commerical Workers Union
Oh, okay.
We do see that happening. It's a regular occurrence as things change in the private sector and there's the demand to keep jobs, because people are afraid of losing their jobs.
12:25 p.m.
NDP
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
You represented Maple Leaf Foods, if I remember correctly.
12:25 p.m.
Director, Government and Political Affairs, United Food and Commerical Workers Union
Yes.
12:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Marston.
Mr. Adler, go ahead, please.
12:25 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you to all the witnesses for being here.
I have a lot of questions, so I'd really appreciate if everybody would just keep their answers as short as possible.
Mr. Linton, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I did hear you say—and I hope you'll correct the record if this isn't what you said—that this government is promoting a policy of wage discrimination based on race. Could you please clarify that?
12:25 p.m.
Director, Government and Political Affairs, United Food and Commerical Workers Union
The reason I said that is that most of the people who are coming in under the temporary foreign worker program are racialized people, people of colour. Those are the people who are going to be affected by having their wages 15% lower than what other people in the country will be paid, the prevailing rate of whatever that wage is going to be.
12:25 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
Is that empirically verifiable, this race-based theory of yours?
12:30 p.m.
Director, Government and Political Affairs, United Food and Commerical Workers Union
We see that happening.
12:30 p.m.
Director, Government and Political Affairs, United Food and Commerical Workers Union
This is our observation, because as I mentioned—
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
12:30 p.m.
Director, Government and Political Affairs, United Food and Commerical Workers Union
As I mentioned earlier, we have—
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
That's quite frightening. I was hoping you would clarify the record, but I'm really glad that you clarified it in the way you did, because it's quite shameful, if that's what you believe.
Mr. Poirier, in the nineties, the Liberal government cut 50,000 public-sector jobs. What did you have to say about that at that time?
12:30 p.m.
President, Professional Serving Canadians Coalition, Canadian Association of Professional Employees
The deficit then was a lot greater than what we have right now.
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
That's not what I'm asking. What did you say about the 50,000 job cuts?
12:30 p.m.
President, Professional Serving Canadians Coalition, Canadian Association of Professional Employees
I'm explaining to you why there were those cuts.
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
I can ask Mr. Brison for the reason, but, Mr. Poirier, what did you say about the 50,000 job cuts?
12:30 p.m.
President, Professional Serving Canadians Coalition, Canadian Association of Professional Employees
It was a tough time for everyone. It was unfortunate that people had to go back home. The incentives that were offered then were probably a bit more generous than what are being offered right now.
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
Thank you. I had no doubt that you would give that answer.
How do you feel about the reopening of public-sector collective agreements?
12:30 p.m.
President, Professional Serving Canadians Coalition, Canadian Association of Professional Employees
Why would we do that? We're not even done with bargaining.
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
Thank you.
I would suggest that we ask the current leader of the Liberal Party why you would do that. We could probably get an answer from him.
Do you believe in public sector workers not receiving a wage, i.e., having a Rae Day? Is that something you'd be in favour of?
12:30 p.m.
President, Professional Serving Canadians Coalition, Canadian Association of Professional Employees
No.
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
No. Thank you.
Mr. Linton, going back to you, on your website it states—and you believe in transparency, I take it.