To: Local Union Presidents, Recording Secretaries, all staff, anti-scab campaign supporters:
This has been an important week in our campaign for anti-scab legislation.
On Thursday, I appeared before a House of Commons standing committee to tell MPs that they need to urgently pass Bill C-58.
I did this on behalf of thousands of working people – including Unifor members – who have spent countless hours on picket lines over many decades, fighting for their right to collectively bargain.
This federal anti-scab legislation will help protect the right to fair collective bargaining and to strike, when necessary: a right that workers have fought for and won repeatedly.
Bill C-58 passed second reading in the House of Commons with all-party support on Feb. 27, 2024 –the same day the CN Autoport strike began with scabs already doing the work of our members.
As the strike against CN Autoport entered its fourth week, and Unifor and the company entered into conciliation, our union walked away from the table on Tuesday after the company repeatedly tabled worse offers than the last agreement, which our 239 members at Local 100 soundly rejected.
Last week, a CN train was safely stopped during a solidarity action by Unifor members in Winnipeg as part of an escalation caused by the company’s use of scab labour in Halifax.
Our union is advocating for anti-scab legislation in every jurisdiction across Canada with the goal that every worker’s constitutional right to free and fair collective bargaining will be upheld.
Local 100 members from CN Autoport joined Unifor representatives and other unions at the Nova Scotia Legislature on Tuesday to support the introduction of legislation to amend the Trade Union Act to protect workers on strike from their employer using replacement workers.
I know the Manitoba government will very soon follow suit.
Our campaign is in full swing, and momentum is growing.
I invite you to be part of the fight, support our Anti-Scab campaign and help spread the word with this graphic on your social media networks.
Let’s go!
In solidarity,
Lana Payne
National President