It was a lockout. A 10-month lockout. We saw everything: use of replacement workers, violence, vandalism. It was very rough.
Secur is a cash transportation company and recently experienced a strike of its 900 employees which lasted 20 months. Vidéotron employs 2,200 people.
Cargill is another company which employs longshoremen and specializes in shipping goods. Cargill underwent a strike of 38 months, which at some point turned into a lockout. It became an endless saga in terms of the power struggles, violence, and once again we saw it all. That company is also subject to the Canada Labour Code.
At Radio-Nord, a communications company, employees went on strike for 20 months. The same situation occurred. Replacement workers were used and there was violence and hostility.
These are situations that we are aware of. Such examples lead the Bloc Québécois to assume, at least when comparing the Quebec and Canada Labour Codes, that something is not working in the Canadian legislation, and that measures must be taken. Therefore, our conclusion is different from yours, and Mr. Laurin's.
I'm trying to be very receptive of your opinion, despite my own observations. I'm trying to be open-minded in hearing your arguments, in order, as Mr. Silva was saying earlier, to identify clear examples of the differences between Quebec legislation and British Columbian legislation and to see the differences between the Quebec experience, the British Columbian experience, and the Canadian experience.
I also listened quite attentively when Mr. Hattin talked about businesses that fall under provincial jurisdiction; he said that in order to do business, he must deal with businesses that fall under national jurisdiction. He gave the example of banks, and how cheques are circulated. Less than one per cent of bank employees are unionized, and there have been no conflicts in that area. It has been a very good experience.
In the area of railway transport, railway workers are irreplaceable because their jobs are specialized and require training. If you want to be a good railway worker...