Re: Bill C-525 - Employees Voting Rights Act An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code, Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act and the Public Service Relations Act (certification and revocation bargaining agent)
Greetings,
As you know, the Conservatives private members Bill C-525 would make it virtually impossible for workers to form a new union in a federally-regulated workplace and much easier for workers to decertify the union.
This week, in Ottawa, two days of hearings took place at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources (HUMA). Today the Conservatives backed down on one of the most worst aspects of this Bill. Despite trying to ram this Bill through the House, the Conservatives withdrew the aspect where even those workers who choose not to vote would have been casted as a negative vote against joining the union. Thus, it would have been necessary to receive majority support of the whole population of voters in a representation vote and not just a majority of those who participate in the vote.
If this same principle was applied to Members of Parliament (MPs), then no MP who was elected in 2011 would have that job today.
It is without a doubt that your activism from our rank and file leadership, activists, retirees and staff across this country made this amendment take place. Your hard work over the past several months with your lobbying efforts, discussions with the media, your various conversations/debates with employers, both federally and even provincially brought us this victory, for our union and the broader labour movement. This was no small feat, especially with a majority Conservative government. But we have to continue and keep this pressure on and keep our members engaged.
Thank you for making a difference to workers across this country.
To read Unifors brief, click here.
In solidarity,
Jerry Dias, National President
Unifor
