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Labour activists protested outside the office of Patty Hajdu in Thunder Bay, Ont., Friday, warning that proposed federal law changes would give the jobs minister 'unprecedented' powers to send striking employees back to work — potentially disincentivizing employers from negotiating in good faith.
Labour activists protested outside the office of Patty Hajdu in Thunder Bay, Ont. , Friday, warning that proposed federal law changes would give the jobs minister "unprecedented" powers to send striking employees back to work — potentially disincentivizing employers from negotiating in good faith.
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. Members of the Thunder Bay and District Labour Council and supporting unions rally outside Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu's office in Thunder Bay, Ont.
, over the federal government's Bill C-39. Labour activists protested outside the office of Patty Hajdu in Thunder Bay, Ont. , Friday, warning that proposed federal law changes would give the jobs minister "unprecedented" powers to end strikes — potentially disincentivizing employers from negotiating in good faith. The Thunder Bay and District Labour Council rallied about 50 people to oppose Bill C-39, which proposes major changes to Canada’s collective bargaining legislation.
“Bill C-39 gives the minister unprecedented power after a short mediation, mandated by the bill, to send people back to work,” said the council’s president, Carlos Santander-Maturana. “That creates a situation where employer feel that they really need to negotiate in good faith because after all, they do have a mechanism for government to intervene and force the people back to work — and that is the dangerous path that we are taking here.
”It aims to fast-track approvals for major projects, reducing review times and creating zones of “national interest” to pre-approve certain types of projects. , which gives the minister responsible — in this case, Hajdu, the MP for Thunder Bay—Superior North and minister for jobs and families — broad powers to “maintain or secure industrial peace.
” The federal government has faced increasing backlash since 2024 for using Section 107 to order striking workers back on the job and begin binding arbitration. Dawn Bellerose, secretary-treasurer of Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario, speaks during Friday's rally in Thunder Bay, Ont. Hadju's office insists the proposed changes will not limit the right to strike.
“Bill C-39 would not give the minister any new intervention powers under Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code. Instead, it would create new requirements for the minister to satisfy before any intervention is possible,” said Hadju's press secretary Jennifer Kozelj in a statement emailed to CBC News on Friday.
Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario Patty Hajdu is seen in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in this 2025 file photo. “The federal government will always protect the rights of Canadian workers, including the right to strike.
” The proposed changes “would clarify the minister’s existing ability to direct the to take specific measures by establishing clear guardrails around the use of Section 107,” Kozelj wrote.
“These measures could only be considered once a strike or lockout is under way. Before directing the board to act, the bill would introduce two conditions that the minister has to meet: First, receive and consider a report from a special mediator appointed to the dispute, which would be provided to the bargaining parties and publicly released to ensure transparency; and Second, there must be an assessment demonstrating that a labour disruption is or will adversely affect the national interest.
In determining the national interest, the minister may consider whether there has been or will be significant impact on the Canadian economy, the freedom of association or serious social disruption. ”Still, union representatives in Thunder Bay said they don’t believe the proposed changes are in the interest of workers.
"When the Bill C-39 comes through and we read through the Section 107, that's just something that Unifor can't get behind,” said David Lennox, vice president of Unifor Local 1075. David Lennox, centre, is vice president of Unifor Local 1075. He was among about 50 people who gathered outside Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu's office in Thunder Bay, Ont. , on Friday.
“We're proud of the work that's coming Canadians, specifically the Via Rail contract that was just awarded — we're really appreciative of that work,” Lennox said. Unions have new leverage, not less, under Liberals' new major projects bill: jobs minister The secretary-treasurer of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario Dawn Bellerose described the proposed legislation as “really harmful to workers that have built this country.
” With the rising cost of living amid the Canada-U.S. trade war, Bellerose said workers are facing more uncertainty than ever. Liberals table bill to speed up major project approvals, avert labour disruptions “We absolutely want Canada to thrive, we do, because we love this country. But we also need to feed our families, we also need to pay our rent,” she said.
“When we don't have those opportunities to make those strides at the bargaining table, it's not gonna happen. ” Sarah Law is a CBC News reporter based in Thunder Bay, Ont. , and has also worked for newspapers and online publications elsewhere in the province. Have a story tip?
You can reach her at sarah.law@cbc.ca. Unions have new leverage, not less, under Liberals' new major projects bill: jobs minister
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