Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to give a speech, my first one in 2014.
On that note, Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish you and all of our colleagues in this House a very happy and prosperous new year.
Second, I would like to thank all of my constituents in the great riding of Medicine Hat for their support over this last year.
I am very pleased to rise in the House today to speak in support of the employees' voting rights act, which intends to modify the Canada Labour Code, the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act, and the Public Service Labour Relations Act.
I would like to thank my colleague, the member for Wetaskiwin, for raising such an important question in the House. I have the privilege of having him sit beside me this afternoon.
We can all agree that employees should have the right to decide freely, without pressure, whether or not they want to be represented by a union. In Canada, freedom of association, which includes the ability to form a union, is a fundamental right guaranteed by various federal, provincial and territorial labour laws, as well as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Canada Labour Code, the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act and the Public Service Labour Relations Act also guarantee the right to certify or decertify a union.
We all understand that for an employee the decision whether to be represented by a union or not is an important one. It is equally clear that the decision made by employees regarding their unionization has an impact on their employer.
When elections are held, Canadians choose their representatives by secret ballot vote. They make their decision in a voting booth, without pressure, sheltered from the looks of others. Why do we vote this way? The secret ballot voting remains the single best way to ensure democracy, so it should be available when individuals choose if they would like to be part of a union.
As we know, currently unions can be certified to represent an employee bargaining unit through using a check card system. It is clear that the best way to guarantee that this important decision is made freely is by using a secret ballot vote. It is the very essence of the employees' voting rights act. It would give employees the right to express their opinions in a more democratic way.
I believe the employees should be able to fully express their views regarding the type of union representation they want in their workplace. I also firmly believe that their views should be expressed under the best possible conditions, to ensure the decision accurately represents the will of the employees.
Having said that, there are areas of the bill that we feel should be amended. That is why it is important for stakeholders, including unions and employees, to share their views regarding the bill. I am confident that the discussions will highlight the strengths of the bill. I am certain the stakeholders will provide constructive feedback to the House committee. This process offers them a unique opportunity to suggest ways that would strengthen and maintain workplace democracy.
The employees' voting rights act would allow us to begin an important debate on workplace issues, and I would like to recognize the hard work of the member of Parliament for Wetaskiwin on this file.
We all stand for election. We all have an opportunity to have people vote for us, and we know that every one of those votes is done by secret ballot. This is no different for employees who want to join a union or decide they do not want to join a union. They need to have that right to vote without the pressure that might be applied, and they could do that with a secret ballot vote.