Mr. Speaker, it is May Day, and as the rest of the world celebrates labour, some parties in Ottawa seem to think it is still the 19th century when it comes to labour rights.
The Liberals and the Conservatives voted together against job protections for firefighters. They voted against protection for pregnant or nursing mothers. The Liberals have now lined up to attack basic labour rights on Parliament Hill, by saying that unions should not be allowed space to work or to organize.
The president of the UFCW has said, “it...sends a message from the Liberal Party of Canada that unions and the labour movement can be abused in the eyes of the public, and in parliament”. The president of the United Steelworkers said that Liberals had “chosen to attack a fundamental trade union right for partisan purposes”.
Being friends of labour does not just mean putting on our best suits, showing up at the labour hall and calling people brother. It is about having our actions match our words, something we have never seen from either the Liberals or the Conservatives.