The CLC argues Ottawa has used the power repeatedly to cut short legal strikes and lockouts at federally regulated employers, including railways, ports and airlines.
“The government is asking the wrong question,” CLC President Bea Bruske said in the submission. “You don’t fix a problem by writing a manual for it. The federal government has repeatedly used section 107 to undermine free collective bargaining. The answer isn’t to codify that power. It’s to repeal it.”
The CLC said the government’s current consultation approach asks how the intervention power should be preserved rather than whether it should exist, and pointed to this week’s resolution of a WestJet labour dispute as evidence collective bargaining works when left alone. “Even difficult disputes can be resolved through negotiation when governments allow the bargaining process to run its course,” the CLC said.
With the number of worker strikes in Canada rising — including the one by WestJet workers — the Federally Regulated Employers – Transportation and Communications (FETCO) recently called on Ottawa to amend the Canada Labour Code to create a special mediator role for high-stakes labour disputes.
Consultation on Canada Labour Code
In July, the federal government launched further consultation “on how to best maintain a balanced approach to industrial peace and dispute resolution,” building on comments from unions and employers in the previous consultation.