Hello, everybody. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.
My name is Todd Lewis, and I am first vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. I grow grain, canola and lentils just south of Regina, Saskatchewan, in a little town called Gray.
The CFA is Canada’s largest general farm organization. We represent over 190,000 farmers and farm families across Canada, and they are the heart of the Canadian agri-food system, which generates $143.8 billion of Canada's gross domestic product—around 7%.
Canadian farmers proudly produce high-quality agriculture and agri-food products, of which over 92 billion dollars' worth was exported to trade partners around the world in 2022. Canada is an exporting nation. The flow of goods generated from trade is intimately tied to our standard of living. Countries around the world purchase Canadian agricultural products due to our reputation as a reliable supplier of high-quality products. However, if these products are unable to reach overseas customers due to a prolonged labour disruption, this has a direct impact on Canadian farmers, the Canadian economy and our reliability as an exporting nation.
For example, as noted in the final report of the national supply chain task force, labour disruptions in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 “all affected how logistics and supply chain decision-makers and international businesses view Canada’s reliability as a place to do business.” It said that “even the threat of strikes or lockouts negatively affects the operation of the national transportation supply chain and, in turn, Canada’s reputation as a destination of choice for doing business.”
Let me be very clear: We recognize the importance of free and fair collective bargaining in Canada, and we support the rights of unionized workers to negotiate fairly with their employers. However, we believe that the movement of agriculture and agri-food products should be viewed as necessary, and certain exemptions must be made to the proposed legislation, Bill C-58, to recognize the importance of maintaining the movement of these goods during labour disputes.
There is precedent for this. In 1998, amendments were made to the Canada Labour Code, sponsored by then minister of labour Lawrence MacAulay, which prohibited the cessation of work among longshore workers loading grain vessels during a strike or lockout. However, these amendments only apply to bulk grain movement and do not apply to container movement of grain and perishable goods.
Prohibiting the use of replacement workers in federally regulated workplaces during a strike or lockout could cripple Canada’s food supply chains.
Because the railways have a dual monopoly over the shipment of grain in Canada, producers and shippers have very limited options. In most cases, they have only one option to maintain service during a labour disruption.
As a result, we recommend that the employer's ability to re-assign existing non-unionized workers within a company, including management staff, be maintained when necessary to maintain Canada’s domestic food and feed supply. Our hope would be that management could still provide critical functions during such stoppages to allow for the flow of agricultural goods. In our view, this would maintain the integrity of the collective bargaining process by preventing a return to full capacity, while at the same time providing a means of keeping some minimal level of service and the flow of agricultural goods where there are no other options for Canadian shippers.
For this to be reflected in Bill C-58, we recommend the addition of a new paragraph (c) under proposed subsection 94(7) “Exception—threat, destruction or damage” of the Canada Labour Code, stating that “the use of the services is necessary to maintain the flow of essential goods necessary for the maintenance and preservation of Canada’s domestic food and feed supply and global food security.”
The agricultural sector has faced seven work stoppages over the past six years alone. Prolonged work stoppages not only threaten our international reputation but also have real impacts on Canadian farmers and the Canadian economy.
In conclusion, I want to thank you for this opportunity to speak today. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have.