Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for the invitation to comment on Bill C-60 as it relates to industrial relations in Canada. My name is George Smith and I'm a fellow in the School of Policy Studies and an adjunct professor in the School of Industrial Relations and the School of

Finance committee  I think that's entirely possible. It's one of the reasons I believe we need to have practitioners in the room discussing the potential short-term and long-term impact of the kinds of proposals that are being proposed. I refer back to those consultative processes that have been

Finance committee  Yes, sir. Collective bargaining is messy. Sometimes it causes inconvenience. Labour disputes, I would argue, are short-term pain for long-term gain. But the product of a freely negotiated collective agreement is an agreement that both sides agree to and both sides then commit t

Finance committee  Labour relations tend to be cyclical, and relationships with unions and management in a general sense have their peaks and valleys. As I recall, 2010 was not particularly remarkable. In fact, many agreements are achieved under the radar. The ones where there's some sort of disput

Finance committee  Yes.

Finance committee  Well, there are five instances of intervention: three at Air Canada, one at Canada Post, and one at Canadian Pacific Railway.

Finance committee  I would agree with that.

Finance committee  Yes, they're bad for both parties and the employees, the third party.

Finance committee  There's an interesting irony here in the sense that the government intervention has been justified because of the economic recovery. I believe that was a misguided belief. By letting free collective bargaining work, you actually protect jobs and you protect industries. It may wel

Finance committee  Not to my knowledge. From my experience at CBC, they operate independently.

Finance committee  My presentation is done in the context of the federal labour code in the federal sector. I am not—

Finance committee  Yes. They have their own labour relations challenges, but it is independent within that corporation.

Finance committee  Sorry?

Finance committee  I have no knowledge of the situation in Quebec. That's not my—

Finance committee  I know a lot more about the structure of corporations and unions.