Sudbury MPP fights for anti-replacement worker legislation
The New Democrats have long fought for legislation that would ban companies from hiring temporary workers to fill the gaps while their employees are on strike.
Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas and Jamie West were among those in attendance Wednesday.
The NDP argues that replacement workers prolong strikes and delay negotiations, hurting everyone involved. Gélinas said Sudburians will likely remember the USW Local 6500 strike than ended in 2010.
“One of the reasons why the strike went on for so long is because of scab,” she said.
Gélinas said that, while strikes and lockouts don’t happen very often, the ripple effect is felt long after the negotiations are settled.
She said replacement workers are often improperly trained or out of a job once those on the picket lines return to work.
“Companies tend to go after vulnerable people. People who need money,” she said.
“In southern Ontario, you’ll often see people who don’t speak English and French. They’re new to the community, they offer them a ton of money to cross the line. But the minute the strike is over, they toss them to the curb.”
This is the 16th time the New Democrats have tried to pass the legislation.
Political science professor David Tabachnick said Opposition bills get passed.
He said the NDP’s motive is likely to make a point to the Progressive Conservatives.
“They’re basically calling the Progressive Conservatives’ bluff to some degree, by saying do you really support the blue collar workers?” Tabachnick said.
“If you do, then you should obviously support this legislation, which clearly they do not.”
CTV News reached out to the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills development. In a statement, a spokesperson said:
“Ontario has one of the best track records in the country for resolving labour disputes without disruption. Our ministry's responsibility is to stay neutral and encourage parties to remain at the table, where 98 per cent of deals are reached.”
The legislature is expected to vote on the NDP’s plan sometime after Easter.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.