Bill C-58

An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code and the Canada Industrial Relations Board Regulations, 2012

This enactment amends the Canada Labour Code to, among other things,
(a) amend the scope of the prohibition relating to replacement workers by removing the requirement of demonstrating a purpose of undermining a trade union’s representational capacity, by adding persons whose services must not be used during legal strikes and lockouts and by providing certain exceptions;
(b) prohibit employers from using, during a legal strike or lockout intended to involve the cessation of work by all employees in a bargaining unit, the services of an employee in that unit, subject to certain exceptions;
(c) make the contravention by employers of either of those prohibitions an offence punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 per day;
(d) authorize the Governor in Council to make regulations establishing an administrative monetary penalties scheme for the purpose of promoting compliance with those prohibitions; and
(e) amend the maintenance of activities process in order to, among other things, encourage employers and trade unions to reach an earlier agreement respecting activities to be maintained in the event of a legal strike or lockout, encourage faster decision making by the Canada Industrial Relations Board when parties are unable to agree and reduce the need for the Minister of Labour to make referrals to the Board.

Canada Labour Code

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to thank the member for Burnaby South for his speech. However, he did not give much credit to the Bloc Québécois. I would like to point out to the member that there are still holes in the bill. For example, federal public servants are not among the workers covered by this bill.

There is, however, one aspect that interests me above all others, and that is the fact that the bill will come into force only 12 months after royal assent. The Bloc Québécois had proposed an amendment to bring it into force immediately after royal assent, as is the case for other bills.

Could the member for Burnaby South explain how this 12-month delay is reasonable, considering that we are in a minority government and, therefore, the bill could die on the Order Paper?

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that we have the New Democrats to thank for this situation. There would be no anti-scab legislation without the pressure we were able to exert through the agreement between the NDP and the Liberal government. Without us, workers would not have this protection. This is really the fruit of our effort and the labour movement's effort. We are very grateful for the work done by the labour movement.

As far as implementation is concerned, the Liberal government wanted an 18-month delay. We forced it to reduce that delay to 12 months. Let us be clear: Without the pressure that we brought to bear, this bill would never have been introduced and we would never have had this debate. It really is thanks to us that workers in federally regulated businesses in Quebec and across the country will receive this protection.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, powerful paycheques come from powerful unions.

I am proud to be a New Democrat today. I thank the leader of the New Democratic Party for their consistent efforts in making what we knew was possible a reality. For 15 years, New Democrats have tabled this piece of legislation. Eight times we have seen Liberals and Conservatives join forces to make certain that workers are not more powerful.

This is a remarkable day for workers. I thank workers and all my colleagues in the New Democratic Party for this work. However, I am nervous and scared that we could possibly see a Conservative government try to roll back some of these protections and try to force workers back to work, as it often does when it joins forces with the Liberals, with back-to-work legislation.

Could the member speak to how important it is to have powerful unions?

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have to thank my colleague for that great question, and he is right to be worried.

We know that the Conservatives have voted against back-to-work legislation the past. Their leader voted against it eight times in the past. He is in favour of back-to-work legislation. He has opposed anti-scab legislation. He has fought card-check legislation. He has voted against the minimum wage, not once but twice. He vowed to cut workers' pensions and to slash employment insurance to save half a billion dollars for CEOs, which would leave workers out to dry. We know this is a legitimate concern.

We believe very strongly that we not only need to have this anti-scab legislation in place, but also need to be very clear that strong unions have to be supported so that they can fight for good wages for workers. The only way workers get fairness is with strong unions.

Let us be very clear. The New Democratic Party is the only labour party at the federal level. We are proudly founded by unions. We will always defend unions' ability to fight for workers to ensure they get fair wages and fair working conditions.

[The Deputy Speaker, Chris d'Entremont]

Is the House ready for the question?

[Some hon. members]

Question.

[The Deputy Speaker, Chris d'Entremont]

The question is on the motion.

If a member participating in person wishes that the motion be carried or carried on division, or if a member of a recognized party participating in person wishes to request a recorded division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, for this historic vote, decades in the making, I would ask for a recorded vote.

[The Deputy Speaker, Chris d'Entremont]

Pursuant to Standing Order 45, the division stands deferred until Monday, May 27, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.

The House resumed from May 24 consideration of the motion that Bill C-58, an act to amend the Canada Labour Code and the Canada Industrial Relations Board Regulations, 2012, be read the third time and passed.

[The Deputy Speaker, Chris d'Entremont]

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at third reading stage of Bill C-58.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #774

[The Deputy Speaker, Chris d'Entremont]

I declare the motion carried.

(Bill read the third time and passed)