Federal labour bill will let Ottawa intervene less in strikes, minister says

The federal government will introduce legislation designed to reduce how often Ottawa must intervene to end strikes in key industries, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said Friday on Parliament Hill.

Hajdu did not provide extensive details about the planned amendments to the Canada Labour Code, but said the goal is to make it easier for employers and unions to solve problems themselves at the negotiating table. "The government already has the power to intervene," she said. "The point is to reduce the times that the government is forced to solve the problem for employers and unions."

Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code has been used with increasing frequency to curb work stoppages in key industries by referring disputes to the Canada Industrial Relations Board. A report from Employment and Social Development Canada released earlier this month found employers and unions are divided over how much power Ottawa should have to intervene in labour disputes.

Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon told reporters Saturday the legislation could reach the House of Commons as early as next week. "What we want to do is make achieving collective agreements easier," MacKinnon said. He emphasized the legislation is not targeting the right to strike.

Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, warned in a statement that any new power to prevent or shut down a legal strike would weaken workers' bargaining power. "Canada needs workers with our elbows up, not our hands tied," she said.

Derrick Hynes, CEO of Federally Regulated Employers—Transportation and Communications, called for new tools to avoid "catastrophic" labour disruptions.

A federal ban on using replacement workers during strikes or lockouts in federally regulated industries came into force on November 1, 2024.