Back to work legislation hurts workers

CUPE is extremely disappointed in the federal labour minister's decision to table back-to-work legislation, forcing port workers in BC and Montreal off their legal picket lines and trampling on their constitutionally protected rights.

"The MEA locks out our members and in the same breath goes crying to the Minister that their own actions are creating chaos in Canada. The Minister encourages employers to trample on workers' fundamental rights instead of addressing their needs for work life balance," said Mark Hancock, national president of CUPE.

In the case of the Port of Montreal, and the Port of Quebec where workers have endured a lockout for over two years, the underlying issues around scheduling have persisted because of government interference in labour negotiations.

Binding arbitration doesn't solve problems regarding scheduling - they leave this to the parties to negotiate and then these issues linger for years without resolutions.

"These are lockouts, not strikes. The employers are causing the work stoppage, then asking the government to intervene. There is no incentive for them to bargain in good faith because they know the federal government will back their side. The Minister should be directing these employers back to the negotiating table. I urge the CIRB to reject this order and respect workers' rights", added Candace Rennick, CUPE's national secretary-treasurer.

Scheduling is the crux of the dispute in both Montreal and Quebec City. Minister MacKinnon should tell the employers to get back to the table with a real offer that addresses the underlying concerns of the workers, rather than ceding to the demands of employers and denying workers' their right to free and fair collective bargaining. Workers deserve better - this decision does nothing but prolong the conflict and deepen the injustice.