The new Collective Agreements imposed by Arbitrator MacPherson address some of our concerns, but also leave some major issues unresolved. This award is a great example of how we cannot resolve our issues with compulsory arbitration. We need free collective bargaining and the right to strike. These rights have always been the power behind our major contractual gains.
Bill C-89 – Back-to-work legislation (2018)
When the chips are down, federal government after federal government has stepped in with heavy-handed legislation. Governments and employers know that denying free collective bargaining and the right to strike is not a good tool for healthy labour relations. They know that real advances and real labour peace come from freely negotiated agreements. For governments and employers, denying the right to strike makes an immediate problem seem to go away.