May Newsletter VOL 5
Gord Falconer, who has been tasked with engaging the membership, district and local lodges to become more actively involved in political action, released Volume 1 (one) of the Political Action Newsletter on April/2014.
I would like to reiterate the negative impact that Bills C-525, C-377, C-4 and C-23 will impose on members.
The sponsor of bill C-525 is Blaine Calkins, of the Conservative party.
Bill C-525:
•Denys workers the right to collective bargaining; therefore negotiating fair and ethical working environments for employees and proper compensation for the work that they do will not be accurate, as unions will no longer have the positioning to bargain with the employer
•Favours larger corporations
•Makes it difficult for workers in the federally regulated sector to join a union
•Workers, who do not vote, due to any reason, will have their vote cast as a “no” to having a union in their workplace. Making it easier to decertify a union
The sponsor of Bill C-377 is Russ Hiebert, of the Conservative party.
Bill C-377:
•Wants all unions to be transparent however Labour Unions are already transparent! Unions expose all of their financial data to their workers and the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
•Is inexcusably discriminatory. No other organization in Canada is mandated to providing the extensive degrees of information Unions will have to provide; this will also include legal and health services paid for employees
•The bill is invasive, undermines legal rights, freedom of expression, political and personal rights and the privacy of millions of working Canadians
•The extraordinary amounts of information that would be required of unions will cost unions heavily. Numerous amounts of time will be needed to submit a tremendous amount of paper work. If compliance is not met then unions will then be charged fines
The sponsor of bill C-4 is Jim Flaherty, of the Conservative Party.
Bill C-4:
•Changes to the Canadian Labour Code, limiting workers right to refuse unsafe work
•The prevention of workers from accessing the Canadian Human Rights Commission and Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, over workplace discrimination complaints; workers facing discrimination will now have to file their complaint directly with their employer, the employer than has the power to swiftly dismiss the claim
•The Public Service Labour Relations Act is further modified to allow the government to regulate who is an essential worker therefore eliminating workers right to strike
•80% of workers must be deemed essential; if not the right to place a dispute in arbitration will be denied
The sponsor of Bill C-23 is Pierre Poilievre, of the Conservative Party.
Bill C-23:
•Instead of correcting the already existing issues in the electoral laws, bill C-23 threatens the validity of our electoral process
•The candidate or party that came first in the previous election choose poll supervisors; therefore the party or candidate who won previously will appoint someone from their party to supervise the elections
•Will prevent Elections Canada from supporting and urging voters to engage their right to vote
•Prevent the Commissioner of Elections from properly investigating any infractions, concerns etc.
•Eliminating Voter Information Cards
•Bills C-525, C-377, C-4 and C-23 will give the Government and companies the power to destroy unions
•Bills C-525, C-377, C-4 and C-23 are detrimental to the livelihoods of Canadian Workers
•Bills C-525, C-377, C-4 and C-23 eliminates workers democratic rights
In Volume 3 (three) of the On the Line Newsletter there was a full list of Ontario MP’s. Please contact your MP and let them know that these Bills C-525, C-377, C-4 and C-23 put your livelihood and your family’s livelihood at stake!
Arm yourself with Knowledge and exercise your democratic rights BEFORE they are taken away.