Evidence of meeting #110 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A video is available from Parliament.
5:18 p.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
5:18 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Thank you, Mr. Minister.
I wasn't going there, but you did.
With that, thank you, Mr. Minister. That is good.
Mr. Seeback, you have six minutes.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Thank you very much.
Minister, I'm sure you've seen the letter from the CBTU with respect to the job situation at Stellantis. I could read it to you, but I'm not going to. One of their key things is that NextStar is refusing to sign a memorandum of understanding with the CBTU guaranteeing the hiring of local Canadian contractors. The unemployment rate in the Windsor area is 8.1%.
In your role as Minister of Labour, which is to protect unionized workers, have you demanded that NextStar sign a memorandum of understanding with the CBTU to guarantee the hiring of local Canadian contractors for the Stellantis plant? If you haven't, why not?
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
I just came from the CBTU conference. The Prime Minister was in a fireside chat with the executive director of the CBTU, Sean Strickland. I believe it's already on the news. He said he's going to do absolutely everything he can. There's no reason why all those jobs aren't Canadian jobs.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Okay.
Everything you've asked for, or everything you could do, was not my question. My question was very specific. I'm asking what you've done.
The CBTU is very clear in their letter. They are saying there are 180 local skilled trades workers in the Kent-Essex region, “millwrights and ironworkers [who] are unemployed and available to perform” this work. In fact, “Canadian workers are now being replaced by international workers at an increasing pace”. It goes on. This was on April 10. They're demanding that a memorandum of understanding be signed by NextStar with the CBTU on hiring Canadian workers, not foreign replacement workers.
My question to you was this: Have you demanded this? Have you, in your role as the Minister of Labour, gone to NextStar and said, “You need to sign a memorandum of understanding with the CBTU”?
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
I think the honourable member would agree that—I'm somebody who worked in provincial government in my early years—there's nothing worse than a federal government swinging around in areas of provincial jurisdiction. This is, in fact, provincial jurisdiction.
Now, having said that, this is something I am very interested in as somebody who advocates for labour and unions to make sure we have good Canadian jobs.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
How is requiring hiring Canadian workers provincial jurisdiction? That's absolutely not the case. There's federal—
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
—money going into it. There's a federal contract that this government signed with Stellantis for the building and construction of this plant.
The local trade union is saying that far too many jobs are going to outside foreign contractors. You could demand that they sign it. You could stand up right now, walk out of this room, go to the microphones and say, “I demand that Stellantis sign a memorandum of understanding like the one being requested by the construction building trades unions.” You could do it to protect good Canadian labour jobs in an area where there's 8.1% unemployment.
Why aren't you doing that?
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
We have, as of today, 1,975 construction workers hired on that site. I think the company committed to 2,300 construction workers. We're well on target. There is a process in place for the company and the union to come to an agreement on that. About less than 4% of that workforce is TFW.
However, I would still argue, as the Prime Minister just said, that this is too many. Every one of those jobs, where they can be Canadian, should be Canadian. I mean, this just happened. The CBTU is meeting across the river over there right now. The PM could still be with them for all I know, but I left to come over here. This is very much in motion—very much in play—and I think everybody, frankly, is—
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
It took a letter from the CBTU to get you to have a conversation with them.
Their letter goes on to say that after a meeting with the Prime Minister on March 15, the outside hiring got even worse.
However, I'm going back to your role. Your role as the Minister of Labour is to protect labour and good, unionized jobs in this country. Have you—
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
That's a very broad interpretation. My job is within federal jurisdiction, among private actors. It's not even public servants. That is my job.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Are you saying that if you went out to demand it, it's not worth anything?
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Why aren't you doing it, then?
Why aren't you going out and saying, “Look, I've had enough. Stellantis needs to sign the memorandum of understanding being asked for by Canada's Building Trades Unions.” You could go out right now and say, “I've had enough. I'm going to stand up for Canadian jobs. I want these jobs to go to Canadians in an area where unemployment is at 8.1%.”
Why aren't you doing it?
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
Mr. Seeback, I could go out there and say and do many things, but we don't. It is where it is useful that I should be doing things. Also, frankly, I am very guarded about getting into areas of provincial jurisdiction. My job as Minister of Labour is within federal jurisdiction between private actors, private unions, private companies—
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
So protecting Canadians jobs is provincial jurisdiction.
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
—and there's a lot I can do within that role and a lot I can say. That's why I was over there at the CBTU listening to them just now. I'm very happy to say that they are working on a memorandum of agreement with Honda right now so that this catch-up won't have to take place—
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
I don't have time to get to Honda. Stellantis is happening right now.
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Well, Honda is going to be built at some point, but the actual construction is going on with Stellantis right now. Why will you not demand that they sign the memorandum of understanding that the CBTU is asking? They're asking them to sign it to guarantee Canadian jobs. You're a minister of the Crown. Your word actually carries weight. Why are you not going and saying, “Stellantis, sign a memorandum of understanding, and I want it done in two weeks”?
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
Mr. Seeback, I believe that when private actors, whether they be unions or companies, can do that job, they will do it themselves. They are at the table. They are negotiating that agreement. Leave them be.
I am not, perhaps like others around this table—
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Except the CBTU said that after the March 15 meeting—
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
—in favour of big governments going around swinging their weight around. I think the government should stay out—
5:25 p.m.
Conservative