The full text of section 107 says that the federal minister responsible for labour may “do such things as to the Minister seem likely to maintain or secure industrial peace and to promote conditions favourable to the settlement of industrial disputes or differences and to those ends the Minister may refer any question to the Board or direct the Board to do such things as the Minister deems necessary.”
Since June 2024, section 107 has been invoked eight times to interfere with bargaining or end strikes, including those by postal workers, flight attendants and railway workers.
“When big corporations complain, the government caves,” Gazan said while tabling the bill on Monday. “This is a direct violation of workers’ rights, the right to strike and the right to free collective bargaining. These rights were won through generations of struggle and sacrifice, yet government after government violates the rights of workers whenever it is politically convenient.”
Anyone blaming unions are a fool. Sure you can keep pointing at the bad unions of this and that with abusive power. The overall calculus of it all is that it is good for the worker and good for the economy. The boomer middle class got to where it was is because of unions. Full stop.
Section 107 when used should trigger something like dissolving the C-suite and the board if government intervention is needed to resolve the dispute. After all, they are asking the government to do THEIR jobs because they made it worse due to THEIR poor management. But hey, people love blaming unions and the worker drone below trying to do the jobs they were hired for right? Right?
There will be people saying about “free market” - don’t kid yourself - in Canada and many countries, there’s no such thing. Government subsidies, incentives, tax credits etc all go against that concept. I’m not for a full blown “free market”. That would be disastrous all around in this current reality.
Yes baby. Ask for this to support the budget!
