Please Click Here to find recent news, events and information from CUPE Ontario.
Queen’s Park South Lawn *just north of College St.
Recently, over 3500 members of the United Steel Workers walked the picket line for over a year because Vale Inco refused to negotiate a fair contract and instead turned to scab labour to continue production. The use of scabs in this strike, just like so many others, prolonged the hardship and devastated the community.
On March 31 we need your support at Queen’s Park to support Bill 45, the Anti-Scab legislation proposed by NDP MPP France Gélinas. This legislation is both necessary and vital for unionized workers, and it’s worked before in Ontario!
Anti-scab laws have existed in Quebec since 1978; in British Columbia since 1993. Successive governments in those two provinces have never repealed those laws because of the clear benefits to workers and employers. Ontario banned temporary replacement workers from 1993 to 1995.
During this same time period investments into the province increased. Since Quebec introduced their anti-scab legislation, disputes have been less violent and a healthy balance between respecting worker rights and mediating a resolution for negotiations exists there.
The government should implement this legislation now for two main reasons:
- Using Scabs or Temporary Replacement Workers during a strike or lockout is damaging to a community’s social fabric in the short and the long term, and damages the well-being of workers and the economy;
- The Legislation will reduce the length and divisiveness of labour disputes, keep workers working and the economy growing
We need a strong showing of support for this Legislation. Demonstrate your support by attending the lunchtime rally and then join members of CUPE Ontario and the Ontario Federation of Labour inside the Legislature gallery for the vote on Bill 45. Together, workers need to send a united message to the Liberals about the importance of this legislation. Contact us today to pre-register for a spot in the gallery!
To register for a ticket to the gallery, send your name, email and local number via email to Denise Hammond at [email protected] or call 416.299.9739.
Click to Download the poster and put it up in your workplace!
