Toronto (30 Sept. 2014) — Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are back at it again. They are bringing back Bill C-377 after it got roundly criticised in the Senate and sent back to the House for changes last year.
Both Conservative and Liberal Senators sent back Bill C-377, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (requirements for labour organizations), back to the government for major amendments, yet Harper and his gang want to shove it back down our throats.
Conservative Member of Parliament Russ Hiebert's private member’s bill was pushed through the House of Commons, where the Conservatives have a majority, and then went to the Senate where it was defeated. Now, they’re back at it.
Despite objections the opposition parties, labour and professional organizations, the Conservative government is determined to pass the legislation in a hurry.
Opposition to Bill C-377 hasn't gone away. Now-retired Conservative Senator Hugh Segal gave 8 reasons to kill this vicious anti-union bill. We’ve shortened it to give you a snapshot of his reasons.
1. It's unconstitutional. The bill violates Sections 92 and 91 of the British North America Act, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, freedom of speech, expression and association as protected by that very Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
2. It treats unions like they're under federal jurisdiction. They're not. They fall under provincial jurisdiction.
3. It would violate the privacy of millions of Canadians. Up to 12 million Canadian mutual fund owners will be swept into the disclosure and labour trust provisions of the bill which, as well as pension recipients and joint union-employer pension or health insurance arrangements.
4. Advantage Employer? Yes, the Bill violates solicitor-client privilege and forces unions in Canada into disclosure levels to a greater degree than the corporations, whether public or private or government employers with whom they might negotiate. This will actually worsen labour relations in Canada!
5. War on Workers. The Bill shows contempt for the working women and men who are members of trade unions and trade unions themselves.
6. Who's next? Hugh Segal asked: "If this is to apply to trade unions, why would it not apply to rotary clubs, the Fraser Institute, Christian, Muslim and Jewish congregations across Canada, the Council of Chief Executives, local car dealers or the many farming groups, like the cattlemen's associations or the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, all of whom do great work? How about local constituency associations, food banks, soup kitchens, or anglers and hunters clubs?"
7. It's singles out unions for scrutiny. It obliges unions to declare what is spent on labour relations activities, with no similar disclosure imposed on the management side. Should Coca-Cola should be forced to disclose to Pepsi its marketing plan and expenditures over $5,000.
8. Should the Canada Revenue Agency spend its time surveilling unions?
It seems that Stephen Harper thinks CRA workers have very little to do with their time. If the CRA was to perform these new duties, they would need new employees and up to $2.5 million in operating funds, plus an extra $800,000 a year.
None of this makes any sense. The Conservatives are using their majority in Parliament to bully Canadian workers. We must stop them. Stay tuned to our website, Facebook page and Twitter account to see what you can do to work together to stop this vicious bill.
In solidarity
Dave Ritchie
Canadian Vice-President, IAMAW
The Senators list is here:
