Unions have new leverage, not less, under Liberals' new major projects bill: jobs minister
The Canadian federal government has introduced Bill C-39, which modifies the Labour Code to require public disclosure of mediator reports during industrial disputes. The government argues this provides unions with more leverage, while critics remain skeptical of the impact on the right to strike.
Why it matters
The bill represents a significant shift in how the federal government manages labor relations and industrial peace in major projects.
"It's meant to provide, first of all, another tool to parties to understand what the dynamics are and why they're struggling to get to that deal," Hajdu said in an interview on Rosemary Barton Live airing Sunday morning.
The federal government introduced Bill C-39 on Monday, an omnibus bill that includes changes to Section 107 of the Labour Code — a provision that gives the minister responsible broad powers to "maintain or secure industrial peace."
Since 2024, the federal government has come under fire for repeatedly using Section 107 to order striking workers back on the job and begin binding arbitration.
Under Bill C-39, the federal government can appoint a special mediator for 21 days, who would then provide a report to the minister, which sets out the bargaining issues and both sides' positions, and assess the likelihood of an agreement.
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