Here you will find resources to fight back against the Tory attack on workers’ rights to build unions in order to defend their interests. Labour, organized into politically active and democratic unions, is essential to the support of all other social justice movements. It is why the Conservative activists in Canada and around the world are so hostile to them. No matter what nonsensical arguments right-wingers put forward, their main reason to attack unions is to undermine the most powerful opposition to their regressive agenda.
Using their legislative majority in the House, the Harper Conservative government passed laws that undermine progressive and social justice organizations which they see as barriers to their agenda. Workers and their labour unions are next in line, unless Canadians fight back.
The following public intellectuals and experts expose the use of Orwellian-named 'Right to Work' laws by conservative and US Republican activists as a cynical political attack against workers' rights and organized labour. This list of articles is specific to the fight to defend the Rand Formula in Canada, the right of unions to be political agents as part of defending their members interests through bargaining and political work, and the problems with current and rumoured changes to Canadian labour laws.
Bill C-377 was a federal piece of legislation brought forward by the Harper Conservatives that was supposed to be about union financial disclosure. However, after careful analysis we came to understand that it is a highly partisan and political attack on the right of free association in Canada.
MPs and senators weigh-in on Bill C-377 including Conservatives who think that the legislation is too broad, too heavy-handed and will have negative consequences on individual rights and privacy.
Canada has a very unique history when it comes to the development of our labour laws.
Have your local or organization pass a resolution like the one listed below. This resolution was passed at the Canadian Council of the Canadian Labour Congress.
The Conservative attacks on workers' collective rights are focused on undermining the financial capacity of workers' organizations. The goal is to destroy the ability of unions to fight for the interests of their members at the bargaining table and in the political arena.
Bill C-377 was a Harper Conservative written federal piece of legislation that is supposed to be about union financial disclosure. However, after careful analysis we came to understand that it is a highly partisan and political attack on the right of free association in Canada. The Parliamentary Budget Office and the Canada Revenue Agency have both released costing analysis showing that the government will have to spend millions of dollars a year on the implementation of the reporting system.
Some labour unions and associations have made some of their online lobbying tools available to those who want to contact their MP (and their family and friends) and let them know what they think of Bill C-377.
The Canadian Bar Association has responded to Bill C-377 calling into question the constitutionality of the proposed legislation.
