To bring greater stability in the short term, particularly in the west coast port space, it is about the implementation of the Industrial Inquiry Commission report. Currently, under the Canada Labour Code, if a collection of unions wants to work together to bargain as one, they have the authority under the Canada Labour Code to apply under section 34 for the right to do that. The employer has no capacity to do that.
Our request, as recommended by this objective, third party report, is to allow the employer to apply under section 34 to have one union and one employer bargaining. That, in the near term, for us, is a pretty simple solution that would bring greater stability, rather than the potentially chaotic outcome starting later this fall of 39 bargaining tables along the west coast. I don't think that's what we want.
Building on my colleague's comments from earlier, we've gone through a period over the last couple of years post-COVID where we've had a great deal of instability at the bargaining table in aviation, in maritime and in rail. We've seen a tremendous number of work stoppages. Nobody here is arguing against the right to strike, but we think there need to be some limits. We need some balance in this system such that we can keep parties at the bargaining table to avoid some of the highly consequential work stoppages we've experienced.