Hopes High for Anti-Scab Legislation

It's been tried before without success - passing national legislation to prohibit the use of replacement workers during a strike or lockout. Following the first debate in Parliament on the latest private members bill to make such a law a reality, Canadian working families have reason to feel more confident that Parliament will finally adopt legislation to ban the use of scabs during labour disputes under the Canada Labour Code.

"It's a matter of fairness and balance," explains Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian Labour Congress. "The prohibition to use scabs protects the interests of working Canadians and their families against the might of large, often global, employers with no roots in the community."

Such legislation has existed in Quebec since 1977 and in British Columbia since 1993. The result, in both cases, has been a general decline in the loss of work time due to strikes or lockouts, and a diminution of their length and intensity.

"If it's good for BC and Quebec, it's good for all of Canada," says Georgetti. "It is well documented that employers that hire scabs during strikes or lockouts are given an unfair advantage to drag their heels in bargaining, reaping profits from unpaid salaries (scabs are often paid less) and compromising any hope for a fair settlement.

"The Prime Minister campaigned on the promise to help working families in Canada. He can now move beyond the rhetoric of an election campaign to concrete action by supporting this legislation. We thank the Bloc Québécois and the New Democratic Party who are working together to secure the adoption of that bill and we also thank all the Liberal MPs who have announced that they will vote for its adoption."

The Federal anti-scab legislation, if passed, would only cover workers who fall under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Labour Relations Board. That includes those working in the transportation sector such as airlines, railways and inter-provincial trucking. It would also cover banking and media outlets such as the CBC and CTV.

The importance of this legislation, however, would extend beyond people in nationally regulated industries. It would also provide additional ammunition to the labour movement in their efforts to push provincial governments to bring in similar legislation under provincial labour laws.

The Canadian Labour Congress is launching a national campaign to secure anti-scab legislation in this parliament. Workers and their familes are being urged to contact their MPs and tell them to vote in favour of anti-scab legislation.

You can contact your MP by email from this web site. Just find your member on the list below and click on the link that will open a blank email addressed to them. Doing so is especially important if your MP is NOT an NDP member.

Rod Bruinooge (Conservative), Winnipeg South, e-mail: rod@bruinooge.com
Bill Blaikie, MP (NDP), Winnipeg Transcona, e-mail: bill@billblaikie.ca
Tina Keeper, MP (Lib), Churchill, e-mail: keeper.c@parl.gc.ca
Steven Fletcher, MP (Conservative), Charleswood St. James Assiniboia, e-mail: steven@stevenfletcher.com
James Bezan, MP (Conservative), Selkirk – Interlake, e-mail: office@jamesbezan.com
Inky Mark, MP (Conservative), Dauphin – Swan River - Marquette, e-mail: inkymark@mb.sympatico.ca
Pat Martin, MP (NDP), Winnipeg Centre, e-mail: martipd@parl.gc.ca
Anita Neville, MP (Liberal), Winnipeg South Centre, e-mail: email@anitaneville.ca
Brian Pallister, MP (Conservative), Portage Lisgar, e-mail: brianpal@mb.sympatico.ca
Raymond Simard, MP (Liberal), Saint Boniface, e-mail: info@raymondsimard.ca
Vic Toews, MP (Conservative), Provencher, e-mail: toewsv1@mts.net
Joy Smith, MP (Conservative), Winnipeg – North – St. Paul, e-mail: joy@joysmithmp.ca
Judy Wasylycia-Leis, MP (NDP), Winnipeg North Centre, e-mail: judywl@total.net
Merv Tweed, MP (Conservative), Brandon - Souris, e-mail: tweedmp3@mts.net