VANCOUVER – The government proposal to protect west coast grain movement from third party strikes needs vocal farmer support as the issue goes before Parliament, says labor minister Lawrence MacAulay.
In an interview after a private meeting with Prairie and west coast grain industry players, the minister said the proposed changes to the Canada Labor Code face strong opposition from west coast employers and other commodity shippers.
In the last Parliament, opponents tied up a similar proposal in the Senate and it died when the election was called.
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MacAulay expects the labor code amendments will be back before Parliament in February.
The critics will be there as well.
“I think the farmers and other people I heard today are well aware that they need to, if they support this legislation and believe it is vital for providing product to the world market, they must support it in the House of Commons and Senate when it comes up,” he said.
Were supporters of the bill out-lobbied in the last Parliament?
“Well, they didn’t win,” said MacAulay.
The amendments would ensure grain keeps moving to and through the port during a labor disruption that does not involve direct grain industry players. It would not affect the right to strike or lock out in the grain industry itself.
Grain representatives have complained in the past that their product has been held hostage by third party labor stoppages that do not directly involve the grain business or grain workers. Non-grain west coast employers figured that if grain can be stopped, pressure will grow to have Parliament legislate workers back to the job.
West coast tie-ups have contributed to Canada’s growing reputation as an unreliable supplier of export grain.
“The people I have talked to who support this feel this will go a long way in making sure Canada is a reliable provider on the world scene,” said MacAulay.
However, he did note other commodity shippers, the west coast employers’ association and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce have condemned the grain proposal.
They say it gives special status to grain and the government should not be favoring one export commodity over another.
The labor minister said he rejects that view.
“This is not giving special status, it is giving grain a level playing field,” MacAulay said.
“In the past, it has been used as a lever by others. This will take that away. It will not be the ball in the ball game to be batted around on other issues.”
He said he would like to see it through Parliament and into law by the end of February, “but then I would have thought it would be through before Christmas, so you never know.”
