Mr. Chairman, in conclusion, I'd like to leave this committee with two points. First, the onus of demonstrating that the current measures are insufficient to protect organized workers and that, therefore, reform is necessary must lie with those who propose such reforms and not with those who support the status quo. That is an underlying principle of any regulatory reform. And that burden of proof has not been met.
The current measures are sufficient, and there is really no factual evidence to suggest otherwise. The current measures in the code more than adequately protect organized workers and their unions by allowing the board to order replacement workers banned in situations where the employer has been found to be involved in an unfair labour practice. Surely such a significant tipping of the scale is better considered and applied on a case-by-case basis, rather than in an arbitrary and sweeping outright ban.
Former Liberal labour minister, Claudette Bradshaw, perhaps summed it up best when she said, “It seems to me that for our part as legislators it is not for us to take sides, but rather to come up with a rule of law where the needs of one side are not met at the expense of the other.”
This committee must ensure that the law continues to provide a fair and balanced approach.
Thank you very much.