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Re: Opposition to Québec Government’s Bill 3
We write to you today as two elected officers representing 320,000 Unifor members across the country, including almost 55,000 in Québec.
As Canada's largest private sector trade union, we represent members working for some of the country's largest employers, including employees of your company. We are writing to you to express our extreme anger and alarm at the recent actions of the CAQ government in Québec. By putting forth Bill 3, the government has signaled its contempt for organized labour and for the constitutionally enshrined rights of working people.
Beyond the issues it raises directly for workers, this Bill also has direct consequences for employers. First, the Bill limits the political action of trade unions by restricting the use of dues for the purposes of intervening in discussions on laws, regulations or public policies. An important part of Unifor's work is to advocate for economic interests in the areas where our members work, such as industrial policy, supply chains, investment supports, fair working conditions, occupational health and safety, economic trade, local content rules, training and skills development, and many more.
Unifor plays an active role in the Quebec and Canadian political sphere, and we continue to use our voice to protect and build the industrial sectors in which our members work. Our union’s interventions have often helped to protect jobs, support investments and stabilize production sites. Québec’s Bill 3 undermines a union’s ability to act at a time when several sectors are facing the consequences of a tariff war with the United States that jeopardize our economy like never before. Bill 3 will have the effect of preventing us from being this powerful and present player in the defence of local businesses.
The Bill also requires that all secret ballot votes, including votes to ratify collective agreements, take place for a duration of at least 24 hours. We anticipate that this amendment to the Labour Code will have the effect of increasing the number of rejected tentative agreements and increasing the number of strikes. Bargaining teams that present a draft collective agreement at membership meetings are mandated to explain the context, the content and the issues that led to a tentative agreement. When a vote is held over a long period of time, outside of a meeting where all the facts can be presented, the results could be more volatile. We believe that this type of voting degrades the ability to reach collective agreements in a timely manner, while opening the door to more contentious rounds of bargaining.
Should Bill 3 become law in Québec, it will undermine the democratic framework that upholds labour relations in this province. Historic understandings that maintain labour peace in Quebec would be called into question.
As a result, employers who currently have relationships with our union may face increased and unpredictable labour challenges.
In the context of the economic war waged on Canada by the government of the United States, we encourage you to reflect on the threat to Canada's economy, and the potential consequences for employers and workers alike.
There is no logical reason as to why the government of Québec would choose, in the current political context, to attack the very foundations of the labour movement, which forms an integral part of Québec’s economic and social bedrock.
We urge you to recognize that this is no time to attack working people and their unions. We urge you to use your voice to express concern to the government of Québec as soon as possible. We urge you to understand that the most productive use of our time is to bring working people and industry together to establish a clear path forward for building a prosperous Québec.
We will remain available to work with all those who are willing to unite to protect good jobs in Québec and in Canada, today and into the future.
Sincerely,
Lana Payne Daniel Cloutier
National President, Unifor Quebec Director, Unifor
