CLC Lobby Day in Ottawa – 2019

 

REPORT ON THE 2019 ANNUAL CLC LOBBYING DAY IN OTTAWA

Myself, Stephane Paré, Neil Giroux and over 300 other union representatives visited our nation’s capital on February 26, 2019, in order to lobby the federal government on several very important issues affecting many Canadians. Once again, the IAMAW represented the most members from any of the participating unions with 72 representatives!

Four issues were the focus of this year’s lobbying:

PHARMACARE

Although Canadians are fortunate to have Medicare, drugs are covered 100% only during hospital stays. Millions of Canadians cannot afford to pay for their medication because despite Canada’s wealth, we pay the THIRD HIGHEST prices for medication in the world!

This is due to a network of approximately 1000 private insurance providers and about 100 government programs which negotiate individually with pharmaceutical companies! A national Pharmacare program would see one entity negotiating drug prices for ALL Canadians, thereby substantially increasing our buying power. Estimates have the savings set at $11B dollars, with even the most conservative estimates set at $4B savings! This action would ensure that ALL Canadians receive the medications that they need AND deserve.

CONTRACT-FLIPPING

Contract-flipping is something relatively new that occurs when an employer such as an airport issues a tender for airport services, such as baggage handling. The current contract holder may have a collective agreement in place with the baggage handlers, but current law does not force a new employer to maintain the CA, let alone force them to keep the current employees! The federal government needs to adopt a law that would protect the employees and their contracts from being dismissed in the event of a change of employer. This practice is legal in federally regulated industries such as transport, because the Canada Labour Code contains no provisions for successorship rights. Such provisions require employers to maintain work standards negotiated by a union when a business is sold or transferred.

PENSIONS

Everyone has heard of Sears and Nortel, and how employees who worked hard for these companies were last in line when these same companies declared bankruptcy. Sears had the option of using $500M to ensure that employees’ pensions were maintained OR to pay shareholders and other creditors instead; guess what they chose? Bill C-27 even sought to make it LAW to allow crown corporations and federal private sector employers to back out of defined benefit pension commitments! Bill C-27 needs to be repealed. A new law must be tabled that ensures that companies that CAN fully fund their pension plans, MUST do so. Also, the CCAA (Companies’ Creditors Arrangements Act) currently treats any insolvent amount of a pension fund as an unsecured debt, thereby allowing it to be reduced in a restructuring plan!

CANADIAN AEROSPACE INDUSTRY

Last, and certainly not least, is the current state of the Canadian Aerospace industry. The IAMAW has released a paper entitled “Grounded Potential – An IAMAW Report on a National Aerospace Strategy”. This report documents the current state of the aerospace industry in Canada and the need for swift and powerful action from the federal government. Some facts:

  1. The Canadian aerospace sector employees some 208 000 Canadians
  2. 22 000 of these workers are represented by the IAMAW
  3. The Canadian aerospace sector annually contributes $28B to the Canadian economy
  4. Within 5 years, approximately one-third of Canadian aerospace workers will retire
  5. Current federal support of the aerospace industry falls well short of addressing ALL the issues:
    1. Research & Development
    2. A National Labour Strategy
    3. Training & Education
    4. A Sectoral Aerospace Policy

Other major players in the aerospace industry such as the US, France, Germany, UK and Japan ALL invest heavily in their aerospace industries.

I urge all our members to read this document in its entirety and understand that if the federal government does not begin to take concrete actions to retain and expand our aerospace industries, other nations such as the US and many European Union countries will be more than happy to take them off of our hands.

I met with Anne Quach, NDP MP of Salaberry-Suroît and Liberal MP Linda Lapointe, Rivière-des-mille-îles. Both members of parliament listened and understood our concerns, and both agreed to meet with me at a later date for a follow-up.

Members