By Doug Nesbitt
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was given a standing ovation at the 2nd Unifor convention in Ottawa yesterday. But not all Unifor members were cheering on the love-in between the Prime Minister and their national union president, Jerry Dias. There are plenty of Canadian workers already fed-up with business-as-usual and inaction during a crisis.
After ten months in power, the Trudeau Liberals are presiding over a series of major crimes and fiascos on the labour front. Through decisive action, they could help resolve in favour of hundreds of thousands of workers. Instead, major corporations, Harper-appointed wreckers, and the business class are reaping the rewards. Here are six quick reasons why labour has no business holding a Liberal love-in.
1. Not turfing Canada Post’s Harper crew
The Trudeau government has done next to nothing in clearing out the Harper-appointed management at Canada Post. They sent Canada Post CEO Deepak Chopra a letter asking him to resign shortly after the election. Chopra said no. The Liberal reply to a request for a resignation? Nothing. Were they even serious or was this some hollow gesture to placate labour and those of us fighting for a public postal service? Now Canada Post management has instigated a protracted labour dispute to wreck the pensions of postal workers. There is absolutely no financial reason to do so. The goal is in part about derailing the government’s review of Canada Post and restoration of home mail delivery.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is also seeking to resolve a gender pay equity problem at Canada Post. Rural Suburban Mail Carriers, who are predominantly women, are paid far less than their urban mail counterparts. Management is refusing to budge. Trudeau, the supposed feminist, has said nothing and done nothing.
If the Liberals had cleaned house, we likely wouldn’t be in this mess.
2. The US Steel robbery
In Hamilton, thousands of Hamilton steelworkers continue to be denied pensions and retiree benefits as US Steel continues to squeeze every penny it can from former Stelco mill. US Steel, a gang of judges, Harper and now the Trudeau governments refuse to disclose the secret deal between the government and US Steel that allowed the corporation to buy the Stelco in 2007.
As judges block the retiree benefits for tens of thousands of Hamilton steelworkers, US Steel is pushing for executive pay bonuses. The Liberals are not intervening which ensures this outrageous injustice continues.
And there is no movement on reforming the ridiculous bankruptcy laws in this country which allow corporations to rob pension plans. Which side is Trudeau on? The same as his Bay Street Finance Minister, Bill Morneau, a corporate pension profiteer.
3. Repealing employer restrictions on Temporary Foreign Worker Program
The Liberals are looking at loosening employer restrictions on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, even though the country has been putting up some dismal economic numbers in recent months – the worst since the Great Recession in 2009.
In trying to curry favour with employers, the Liberals are floating the idea of repealing some of the restrictions that the Harper Tories had to reluctantly put in place a few years ago following a rash of employer abuses of temporary workers that came to light through some good investigative reporting.
4. Phoenix Falling: The federal payroll nightmare
Over 80,000 federal government workers have been without paycheques or faced major pay problems since February – thanks to the colossal failure of the new Phoenix payroll system implemented under the Harper Tories. There was already a lot of noise before the system was even implemented that there were going to be real problems, but the Liberals have only started to act in the past month.
They say they are going to repair the system by October, but both union and government analysts are saying this won’t happen. What is it going to take for the Liberals to solve this problem? A union policy of “No pay, no work”?
5. Employment Insurance robbery
Back in March, Trudeau’s Bay Street Finance Minister Bill Morneau did some minor adjustments to Employment Insurance to help out some regions around Alberta and Saskatchewan (while leaving out Edmonton) but the Liberals have made no commitment to restoring EI as a universal program for everyone who pays in.
Each year, billions of dollars of EI money doesn’t get paid out. It’s used by Liberal and Tory governments to balance budgets, pay for tax cuts, and other promises. Don’t expect the Liberals to tell the truth about how they’re financing their tax cuts or P3 corporate infrastructure handouts. They’re doing it through the robbery of Employment Insurance money.
6. No $15 federal minimum wage for you!
Finally, let’s not forget that during the election, Justin Trudeau dismissed a $15 federal minimum wage. This kept an estimated 60,000 federally-regulated workers earning poverty wages. Trudeau cowardly passed the buck to the provinces saying the provinces should raise the minimum wage because it would help more workers. So much for leadership, Justin!
That’s just the big stuff happening right now. Look out for more Liberal failures on rail and food safety, P3 infrastructure projects, corporate theft, and mass layoffs.
Labour won’t get anywhere by accepting Trudeau’s sugar-coated crumbs. When push comes to shove, the big money interests behind the Liberals will get the whole pie.
Also from RankandFile.ca:
Charting corporate connections in the new Liberal cabinet
Charles Smith says
11. Ramping up arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Because sunny ways means arming one of the most repressive regimes in the world.
Herman Rosenfeld says
Excellent piece. The attitude towards Trudeau reminds me of the embarrassing welcome given to Paul Martin at the CAW Council years ago. It is one thing to try and get Harper’s replacement to act on campaign promises, but losing perspective on who and what the Liberals are is unconscionable.
Barry Weisleder says
Let’s not forget Trudeau’s refusal to rescind repressive ‘security’ law C-51, and the commitment of his government towards the building of a pipeline East. Ecological, feminist, pro-labour? What a joke! The Liberal Party is in lock step with its century-plus tradition of campaigning left and governing to the right. It must be countered by socialists aggressively fighting for new leadership in unions like UNIFOR and in the labour-based NDP.
Wallace Syme says
Needs to really address the Steel workers concerns with US steel as well as the minimum wage .He has been
in a while now so he can’t say that these issues are not important or will go away ,because Labour will
persist to hold the Employers and his Government responsible . There have been enough problems from last
Government and he had made promises during his election and people remember.
Carol Pickup says
When will the rank and file union members wake up and stop supporting either the Liberals or the Conservatives? The only party that is a friend of trade unions is the NDP. They are the party which will bring about positive change in Canada not Justin Trudeau or his ilk!!
Tony says
Unifor was cozy with Stephen Harper too… Jerry Dias needs to get the boot!