Poilievre Plans to Review Replacement Workers Bill Before Making Decision

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre expressed on Nov. 13 that he has not yet formed a position on the Liberal government’s proposed legislation to prohibit the use of replacement workers during strikes and lockouts in most federally regulated workplaces.

The bill, called Bill C-58 in the House of Commons, was presented last week and is set to be applicable to most federally regulated industries such as banking, airports, telecommunications, and railways. However, it will not apply to the federal public service or workplaces regulated by a province or territory.

“We’re going to study the legislation,” Mr. Poilievre told reporters at a press conference in Vancouver. “I never take a position before I have had a chance to actually look at what’s written down on paper.”

His response comes as the Conservatives attempt to connect with more of the country’s workers, emphasizing cost of living issues and the anxieties it has caused among the working class.

On Nov. 13 he stated that although he hasn’t taken a stance on the anti-replacement workers bill, he’s on the side of workers.

“I don’t blame the workers who are voting for strikes right now,” Mr. Poilievre said.

“Conservatives are 100 percent on side with workers, union and non-union, who are fighting for pay hikes,” he said.

He placed the blame for rising costs on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government spending.

Mr. Poilievre’s political stance positions him as the one with the “common sense” approach that supports the “common people” while portraying Mr. Trudeau and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh as elite and out of touch.

At the party’s national policy convention in Quebec City this past September, Mr. Poilievre used his keynote speech to state that workers were being “punished” through inflation and other taxes.

However, some labor leaders are viewing his approach with skepticism and using the replacement workers legislation as a litmus test for the Conservative leader who claims to be worker-friendly. In a statement on Nov. 13, Unifor called on all parties to fully support the legislation, as president Lana Payne said, “If Pierre Poilievre truly supports the rights of working people there is only one way to vote.”

“But Ms. Payne also pointed to Mr. Poilievre’s record when it comes to workers, adding that “we are not holding our breath.”

Mr. Poilievre has voted multiple times in favor of back-to-work legislation over his nearly 20 years as an MP, including when the former Conservative government was in office.

He has avoided that approach as leader, claiming that Mr. Trudeau was at fault for the federal public sector strike earlier this year.

The Liberals pledged in the 2021 election to prohibit the use of replacement workers in the event of a lockout, but Bill C-58 extends it to include strikes. This expansion is part of the confidence-and-supply deal between the Liberals and the NDP—making it a victory for Mr. Singh’s party.

The NDP has long advocated for the provision alongside union leaders.

Both the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Federation of Business indicate that the legislation could extend labor disputes and eliminate an incentive for labor unions to remain at the negotiating table.

Goldy Hyder, president of the Business Council of Canada, cautioned the Liberals in a recent letter that the legislation could increase the cost of collective bargaining units, “resulting in higher costs for consumers.”