Mr. Coderre, you know as well as I do that the legislation was amended in 1999 by the government you were then a part of. When we looked at this issue of replacement workers or anti-scab legislation, there was no consensus among stakeholders. People were diametrically opposed on the issue. After a series of meetings, reports and discussions among the various parties, a consensus was reached: in the case of a strike, a contractor cannot hire replacement workers with the aim of undermining union representation. That is very clear. If the union feels that it has suffered harm, it can file a complaint with the Canada Industrial Relations Board, which will then investigate.
It is important to strike a balance. When a strike occurs, the employer does have the right to continue to run his business. Similarly, unions have the right to use the strike option to try and win support for their issues or obtain changes in wages and working conditions.
We believe that this legislation achieves the appropriate balance, particularly since, when a strike occurs, an employer has to call on replacement workers, and it isn't easy to find people with the appropriate skills to replace striking workers. Furthermore, these employees return to their jobs when the dispute comes to an end, and replacement workers then have to leave.