Since coming to power in Manitoba earlier this year, the Brian Pallister Conservatives have put in motion a sustained campaign attacking the rights of the province’s workers and the unions that represent their interests.
The government has passed Bill 7, legislation that makes it more difficult to certify unions in the Province. This anti-union, anti-worker bill will have a negative effect on all Manitoba workers and particularly the most vulnerable workers who are struggling with poverty wages and precarious employment.
The Premier has also hinted that the government will introduce legislation to force public sector workers into unions that are not of their choosing and has promised to impose collective agreements on public sector workers. The Premier has also been accused of interfering with the collective bargaining process in the recent strike by the University of Manitoba Faculty Association.
The Confederation of Canadian Unions supports free and fair collective bargaining and the right to freedom of association. We categorically oppose legislation that is directed preventing union certification and lowering union density throughout the Province of Manitoba.
We call on the Manitoba government to repeal Bill 7 and immediately cease bringing forward all planned legislation designed to attack the collective bargaining process and freedom of association of workers within the province.
For More Information
Rank and File: Bill 7 is an Attack on Union Rights
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives: Bill 7 Unfavourable for Manitoban Workers
Winnipeg Free Press: Pallister Considers Opening Contracts to Gain Wage Concessions
