Ottawa, On – IAM Grand Lodge Representative in charge of Political Action – Lou Pagrach – was a witness to history being made in Canada’s Senate last week with the passing of Bill C-4.
Bill C-4, which eliminated anti-union legislation brought in by the former Harper Conservative government, received Royal Assent in the Canadian Senate on Monday June 19, 2017.
The old legislation, both created by the Harper Conservatives through private members bills from backbenchers, were a sore point with the IAM and other unions. Bill C-377 required labour organizations to make a series of public financial disclosures including all transactions of more than $5,000.00. Bill C-525 replaced the card-check system with a forced secret ballot vote for any decision to certify or decertify a union. Bill C-4 repealed both pieces of legislation.
Pagrach, along with representatives of other Unions, was a guest of Canadian Labour Congress president Hassan Yussuff, to witness the event. The group later adjourned to the office of Québec Senator Diane Bellemare where they joined Federal Labour Minister Patty Hajdu in a toast to Bill C-4. Abolishing the anti-union legislation of the Harper government was a campaign promise made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the 2015 federal election campaign.
