The federal government used its parliamentary majority last week to end House of Commons debate on Canada Labor Code amendments that will protect west coast grain movement from disruption due to third party strikes or lockouts.
Debate ended in the Commons May 15.
The legislation will be approved and sent to the Senate next week when MPs return from a one-week break.
Reform and Conservative MPs have been fighting the wide-ranging labor code amendments, which they say are too pro-union.
While insisting they support the right of prairie farmers to get their grain to port without disruption, they have opposed the grain exemption as unworkable and unfair to other bulk commodities.
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Liberal and NDP speakers accused Reform and Tory MPs of siding with west coast employer lobbyists who have waged a fierce battle against the grain exemption from third-party disruption.
At one point last week when debate was disrupted by a Conservative delaying tactic, NDP labor critic Pat Martin from Winnipeg raised the farmer issue.
“I really hope the 130,000 prairie farmers who are waiting for this bill to be passed so they can be comfortable that their grain will move without interruption this fall are taking note of the delays and the stalling tactics that have been going on in this House,” he said. “I hope they are paying attention. I’m sure they are.”
For Reform labor critic Dale Johnston, the delaying tactics were not aimed at hurting farmers.
Instead, they were a chance to argue the bill does not go far enough. The only way to protect grain and all commodity movement is to bring in final offer arbitration and end strikes, the party says.
“The Reform party is wholeheartedly in favor of farmers’ grain being able to be shipped off-shore from the farmgate right to the high seas,” he said.
“But this bill does not guarantee that.”
He said it protects grain once it gets to port but strikes and lockouts along the way could still block it. And strikes or lockouts within the grain industry are not covered by the legislation.
The final Commons vote will send the bill to the Senate, where west coast employers and business lobbyists vow to continue their argument that it is unfair to give grain protection that other commodities do not have.
In the last Parliament, similar legislation died in the Senate when an election was called.
The legislation had been held up in committee as opponents paraded before senators to denounce the proposals.
