In their zeal to silence the voices of working people, the federal Conservatives trampled the democratic process to force an unconstitutional anti-union bill through the Senate.
“We will be working through our National Union with all Canadian Labour Congress affiliates and some provincial governments to defeat this unjust law through legal action,” said CUPE Ontario Secretary-Treasurer Candace Rennick. “And we will defeat this hypocritical government at the ballot box in October.”
Bill C-377 is openly opposed by the governments of seven provinces because it intrudes into provincial jurisdiction. The bill has also been decried by experts who agree it is unconstitutional and will not survive a court challenge. The Senate itself has previously rejected this private-member’s bill.
Despite the opposition of many senators, the Conservatives overruled their own speaker to violate Senate procedures and force a vote on Bill C-377. It passed the night before Canada Day by a vote of 35-22.
The new law places unique and onerous financial reporting requirements on unions, and no other organizations, and is clearly designed to silence voices that defend working people in Canada.
“CUPE Ontario is a democratic organization,” said CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn. “Members democratically elect their leaders and our union’s finances and spending priorities are debated and voted on by hundreds of representatives of locals from across the province every year at our convention.”
Bill C-377 has been widely denounced by individuals and groups of all political stripes, including the NHL Players Association, Conservative and Liberal senators, constitutional experts, Canada’s privacy commissioner, the Canadian Bar Association, the insurance and mutual fund industry, the governments of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and a long list of others.
CUPE Ontario will oppose the legislation.
“We will be setting up a Town Hall call with local presidents and secretary-treasurers to provide an update on the actions being taken to challenge this decision,” said Rennick.
Senator James Cowan and other opposition senators stood up to Conservative attempts to rig the rules and end debate on C-377, helping expose just how low the Conservatives will go to pass this bill before an election.
“Our best opportunity to overturn this legislation and prevent more attacks is in the coming federal election,” said Hahn. “C-377 is one more reason to defeat Stephen Harper and the Conservatives, and to elect an NDP government that will fight for the rights and values we all share.”
