44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 14, 2023 10:00AM
Madam Speaker, the question as to whether our Conservative colleagues are in favour of this bill to prevent the use of scabs in the event of a labour dispute, strike or lockout is certainly relevant. It is a simple question.
The reason this bill is under consideration now is that, for decades, the Bloc Québécois has been lobbying for governments to pass anti-scab legislation. This is also happening because thousands of workers are pressuring the government.
We have had similar legislation in Quebec since 1977. In Canada, however, it took significant pressure for this bill to see the light of day.
Will you tell workers that you support the anti-scab legislation proposed by Bill C-58, yes or no?
125 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 1:41:21 p.m.
- Watch
I would remind the hon. member that she must address her questions and comments through the Chair, and not directly to the hon. member.
24 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like the record to show that the member for Dufferin—Caledon tried to have the House pass Bill C-57, the Canada-Ukraine free trade deal, and the Liberals refused to pass it. That is what Conservatives were putting forward.
52 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 1:41:53 p.m.
- Watch
Number one, Madam Speaker, that is not a point of order. No such question was put to the House. I would suggest the ruling on the member's point of order is that it is not a point of order.
40 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 1:42:06 p.m.
- Watch
This is becoming debate.
If hon. members want to continue having a conversation about this, they should take it into the lobby, please.
The hon. member for Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola.
33 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 1:42:35 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, my command of the French language is not the best, but I will try to answer the Bloc Québécois member's question.
With regard to Bill C-58, what is important for me, as a western MP, is to fully understand how this works in Quebec. That is a question I will be asking Conservative Party members from Quebec. I hope I will have a clear answer for the member.
77 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 1:43:33 p.m.
- Watch
I would remind members that when someone else has the floor, it is nice to give him the attention he deserves, especially when he made such an effort to respond in French. Members on both sides of the House were having conversations, and I would remind them to respect those who have the floor. It is good to hear what they have to say because members may have other questions for them.
The hon. member for Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke.
81 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 1:44:05 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, once again, I find it very hard to connect the member's speech to the subject in front of us. I suspect that is because the Conservatives do not really want to take a position on the anti-scab legislation because they are busy posing as friends of labour.
By talking about inflation, is the member actually saying that it is workers' wages that are driving inflation? The Conservatives have been arguing all the time that it is the carbon tax. When we look at what is driving inflation, we find it is the war in Ukraine and the increasing greed of corporate profits in the gas and oil industry.
Is the member, by focusing on inflation, saying it is the workers' fault inflation is happening?
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
133 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 1:44:46 p.m.
- Watch
Order, please.
I am sure the hon. member for Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola has been in the House long enough to be able to answer without having anybody else try to do that for him.
The hon. member for Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola has the floor.
50 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 1:44:59 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, I like how you think.
I would simply say to my fellow member from British Columbia, first of all, I understand he is not going to be running for re-election. I have always respected his contributions to this place, and I just want to put that on the record and wish him a merry Christmas when we go.
On the inflationary deficits, the carbon tax, the addition of things where we have plastic bans that are now being looked at for the packaging of foods, we have a government that seems to always have one dial, which is to spend, spend, spend. As we know from listening to macroeconomists, adding more fuel to the inflationary fire is not going to help deal with inflation. In fact, the government seems intent on doing that, which is why we have continued to press the government to address those core issues.
If I am not considered a friend of labour, I want to be. I try to listen to all views, whether they come from my riding or not, and I want to put all Canadians to work in meaningful and safe work.
193 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Madam Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House of Commons today to speak about Bill C-58, the bill that would ban the use of replacement workers.
What this legislation would really do is strengthen workers and unions by strengthening one of the pillars of people power, the bargaining table. I come from a proud union town, a proud union town that knows how to build things. For over 100 years, we have been building cars and machines and tools for Canada, and we are darn good at it. What our unionized workers, brothers and sisters, have also built is a strong community of resilient and caring people who look after each other, and not only look after each other but fight for one another.
One of the ways we have been able to build this caring and generous community is through the bargaining table, with hard-won victories that improved wages, working conditions, health and safety and workers' rights and that provided time off to be with families.
In 1945, 14,000 Windsor auto workers at Ford went on strike. For 99 days they protested layoffs, unfair wages and working conditions, and after 99 days, they prevailed. Those Windsor workers stabilized the labour movement in Canada and provided the labour movement in Canada with a gift. It is called the Rand formula, which establishes and protects a union's right to collect union dues.
Every September, thousands of residents march in the Labour Day parade to celebrate all of the hard wins of the past and all of the hard wins of the present, while also recommitting to the next fight on the horizon to improve the lives of workers. I was proud to walk with Unifor, LiUNA, IBEW, the millwrights, teachers, nurses and so many others who work hard to provide for their families but also work hard to build their communities.
I want to take a moment to thank the Unifor bargaining committee that entered tough negotiations with Ford, Stellantis and General Motors just this October. Those were tough negotiations, tough bargaining, and our unions came away with the largest wage and pension increases in generations. Those hard-fought and hard-won improvements not only lift our auto workers but they lift our entire community.
That is the power of the bargaining table, and that is the power we are protecting here today with Bill C-58. It is the power of the bargaining table that we are strengthening.
In the last two years, our Liberal government has worked hand in hand with unions and workers to deliver some of the biggest wins in the history of our community of Windsor—Tecumseh. It is true solidarity. Together, we delivered the EV battery plant, which is just one example, the single-largest auto investment in the history of our community of Windsor—Tecumseh.
To understand the significance of the battery plant investment and to understand the importance of labour and the bargaining table and working together in that partnership, one has to understand the road my community has travelled—
516 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 1:49:51 p.m.
- Watch
The hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan is rising on a point of order.
16 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Madam Speaker, I am sorry to interrupt the member, but I have an important UC request for a motion on Bill C-57 that I think the House will want to hear: That, notwithstanding any standing order—
Some hon. members: No.
42 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 1:50:06 p.m.
- Watch
I would again ask members that if they want to table unanimous consent motions, they should be conferring with all other parties ahead of time to ensure that, when they bring a motion for unanimous consent, they are getting unanimous consent.
The hon. parliamentary secretary.
45 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 1:50:34 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, as I was saying, to understand the significance of the battery plant investment and to understand the importance of the partnership with labour and the importance of the bargaining table, we have to understand the road that my community has travelled these last 10 years. It was a hard road.
Eight years ago, when the Conservatives were in power, Windsor had an unemployment rate of 11.2%. Unemployment for young people was in the high twenties. Families were leaving Windsor for Alberta to find work in the oil sands. Under the Conservatives, Canada lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs. Of course, our community was ground zero for that devastation.
I remember those days. I remember the shuttered storefronts, the empty downtown, the “for sale” signs everywhere and the not-for-profits and charitable organizations struggling because they could not find volunteers because the donations had dried up. The Leader of the Opposition also remembers because he was the employment minister at the time, or as I like to call him, the minister of unemployment.
The battery plant that our Liberal government delivered, together with unions, workers and industry, is the single most important investment in the history of our community, with 2,500 full-time jobs for workers, 2,500 Canadian, local, unionized workers. It is our future. It is our hope. It is powered by strong unions. It is powered by strong workers. It is powered by—
242 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 1:53:02 p.m.
- Watch
The hon. member for King—Vaughan has a point of order.
12 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 1:53:04 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, the member referred to our leader as “the minister of unemployment”. That is false. There is no such title. What is he talking about?
28 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 1:53:12 p.m.
- Watch
That is a point of debate. It is an interpretation. I understand what the hon. member is raising, and I want to remind members that it causes disorder in the House.
I would ask the hon. member to not use that framing again. It does cause disorder in the House.
50 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 1:53:38 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, I will rephrase that by saying there are members in my community who refer to the Leader of the Opposition as “the minister of unemployment”. That is what members of my community—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
42 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 1:53:51 p.m.
- Watch
I understand what the member is saying, but it is causing disorder in the House.
This happens on both sides of the House, and I would ask members to please be respectful and judicious when they are speaking about other members. There is a standing order that specifically says we should not be speaking disrespectfully about members in the House.
The hon. member for Northumberland—Peterborough South is rising on a point of order.
75 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
