Bill C-295: An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (replacement workers)

C-295 First Session, Thirty-ninth Parliament, 55 Elizabeth II, 2006 HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA BILL C-295 An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (replacement workers) first reading, May 17, 2006 Ms. Bell (Vancouver Island North) 391324 SUMMARY The purpose of this enactment is to prohibit employers under the Canada Labour Code from hiring replacement workers to perform the duties of employees who are on strike or locked out. The enactment also provides for the imposition of a fine for an offence. Also available on the Parliament of Canada Web Site at the following address:http://www.parl.gc.ca .vis1 {position: absolute;display:block;} .vis2 {position: static;} 1st Session, 39th Parliament, 55 Elizabeth II, 2006 house of commons of canada BILL C-295 An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (replacement workers) R.S., c. L-2 Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows: 1. Section 87.6 of the Canada Labour Code is replaced by the following: Reinstatement of employees after strike or lockout 87.6 At the end of a strike or lockout not prohibited by this Part, the employer must reinstate employees in the bargaining unit who were on strike or locked out, in preference to any other person, unless the employer has good and sufficient cause, the proof of which lies on the employer, not to reinstate those employees. 2. Subsection 94(2.1) of the Act is replaced by the following: Prohibitions relating to replacement workers (2.1) For the duration of a strike or lockout declared in accordance with this Part, no employer or person acting on behalf of an employer shall (a) use the services of a person to perform the duties of an employee who is a member of the bargaining unit on strike or locked out, if that person was hired before or during the period commencing on the day on which notice to bargain collectively was given under paragraph 89(1)(a) and ending on the last day of the strike or lockout; (b) use, in the establishment where the strike or lockout has been declared, the services of a person employed by another employer, or the services of a contractor, to perform the duties of an employee who is a member of the bargaining unit on strike or locked out; (c) subject to section 87.4, use, in the establishment where the strike or lockout has been declared, the services of an employee who is a member of the bargaining unit on strike or locked out; (d) use, in another establishment of the employer, the services of an employee who is a member of the bargaining unit on strike or locked out; (e) use, in the establishment where the strike or lockout has been declared, the services of an employee employed in another establishment of the employer; and (f) use, in the establishment where the strike or lockout has been declared, the services of an employee usually employed in any establishment of the employer to perform the duties of an employee who is a member of the bargaining unit on strike or locked out. Protection of property (2.2) The application of subsection (2.1) does not have the effect of preventing the employer from taking any necessary measures to avoid the destruction of the employer’s property or serious damage to that property. Conservation measures (2.3) The measures referred to in subsection (2.2) shall exclusively be conservation measures and not measures to allow the continuation of the production of goods or services otherwise prohibited by subsection (2.1). Investigation (2.4) The Minister may, on application, designate an investigator to ascertain whether the requirements of subsections (2.1), (2.2) and (2.3) are being met. Persons designated (2.5) The investigator may visit the work places at any reasonable time and be accompanied by a person designated by the certified trade union, a person designated by the employer, and any other person whose presence the investigator considers necessary for the purposes of the investigation. Identification (2.6) The investigator shall, on request, produce identification and a certificate of designation signed by the Minister. Report of investigation (2.7) The investigator shall, immediately after completing the investigation, make a report to the Minister and send a copy of the report to the parties. Powers (2.8) The investigator has, for the purposes of the investigation, all the powers of a commissioner appointed under the Inquiries Act, except the power to impose a sentence of imprisonment. Exceptions (2.9) The prohibitions set out in subsection (2.1) do not apply in respect of (a) a person employed as a manager, superintendent or foreman or as a representative of the employer in employer-employee relations; or (b) a person serving as a director or officer of a corporation, unless the person has been designated to serve in that capacity for the person’s employer by the employees or by a certified association. 3. Section 100 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (4): Hiring of replacement workers (5) Every person who contravenes or fails to comply with subsection 94(2.1) is guilty of an offence and liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding $10,000 for each day or part of a day that the offence continues. Published under authority of the Speaker of the House of CommonsAvailable from:Publishing and Depository ServicesPublic Works and Government Services CanadaOttawa, Ontario K1A 0S5Telephone: (613) 941-5995 or 1-800-635-7943Fax: (613) 954-5779 or [email protected]://publications.gc.ca