Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I also wish to thank all those who travelled some distance in order to share with us their opinion on this piece of legislation.
I have 35 years of experience in labour relations, and when I approach such a situation, I try to identify which arguments are the most enlightening given the responsibility I hold. Our responsibility here is to either adopt or defeat the bill, or amend it so that it can improve labour relations. It is from this perspective that I welcome you here today, just as we have welcomed all other witnesses who have appeared before us.
I will draw upon a statement made by Mr. Laurin earlier, in response to Mr. Sinclair, or someone else, saying that in British Columbia, there are no problems. That would lead us to believe that an anti-scab, or lockout, or replacement worker legislation wouldn't be so bad. At the federal level, since everything is running smoothly, there is no reason to change the legislation either. I am wondering if that statement is indeed true. Just from experience, I would say it is not.
I can call to mind five recent events which occurred in Quebec not too long ago. The first example is Vidéotron. Vidéotron is a telecommunications corporation that specializes in fibre optics, telephony, it is a part of the Péladeau empire, and is subject to the Canada Labour Code. Vidéotron recently went on a 12-month strike, one of the longest strikes ever in recent years. Or was it a lockout?