May: Collective Bargaining Rights Must be Respected

The Green Party recognizes that on this Labour Day 2013 collective bargaining rights are under assault as never before. Stephen Harper’s administration has ignored the recent court rulings.

In a 2007 ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada placed collective bargaining as a full right under our Charter. In the ruling, 2007-SCC 27, it stated:

The constitutional right to collective bargaining concerns the protection of the ability of workers to engage in associational activities, and their capacity to act in common to reach shared goals related to workplace issues and terms of employment.

It ruled against “substantial interference” and stated that such interference is illegal when it stated:

To constitute substantial interference with freedom of association, the intent or effect must seriously undercut or undermine the activities of workers joining together to pursue the common goals of negotiating workplace conditions and terms of employment with their employer.

The Green Party of Canada, on Labour Day, soundly supports this ruling and pushes for the day when this ruling is totally respected by governments.