It’s a secret! The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
May 21, 2015
The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement is a broad “next generation” international trade and investment agreement that is being negotiated behind closed doors. TPP is not primarily about trade, but is a broad agreement that aims to change Canadian public policy without domestic debate. As such, the Canadian Labour Congress continues to work with other TPP nation labour centrals, international…
Budget bill imposes new sick leave regime on federal government workers
May 15, 2015
Bill C-59 – the government’s latest omnibus budget implementation act – once again includes legislative changes that have little to do with federal budgets, and demonstrates this government’s disregard for collective bargaining and the law. Collective bargaining circumvented Buried clauses forgive illegal destruction of gun registry records Austerity enshrined in budget balancing Compassionate Care Leave changes positive, but not accessible…
Labour disappointed as majority of MPs vote to “put the Charter in a shredder”
May 7, 2015
The President of the Canadian Labour Congress vowed to keep up his and the labour movement’s opposition to the government’s flawed and dangerous anti-terror legislation, bill C-51, as it moves to the Senate after passing in the House of Commons yesterday. “It’s very disappointing to see MPs voting to strip Canadians of their most fundamental rights as citizens for reasons…
Anti-terrorism legislation threatens to undermine the freedom the government claims it would protect
March 13, 2015
The Canadian Labour Congress says that Bill C-51, proposed anti terrorism legislation, threatens to undermine the very freedoms the government claims it wants to protect. “Canadians agree that terrorism is a threat and the government has a responsibility to safeguard public safety, but it has not justified why it cannot do that using the existing criminal code,” said CLC president…
On Human Rights Day, we recognize that human rights are integral to security
December 10, 2014
More than 13 years after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, we continue to see governments interpret “national security” in a way that erodes basic human rights and civil liberties. Rather than recognizing that human rights and civil liberties are integral to security of any kind, we see governments implementing legislation and policies in ways that are…
Labour Mobility in Canada: Issues and Policy Recommendations
December 8, 2014
Executive Summary Labour mobility refers to the free movement of workers between provinces, regions, or countries. When labour mobility between two jurisdictions is high, a worker in one can easily cross the border to deliver services in the other. High labour mobility is economically efficient, because workers can move to where they are most needed. However, there are many barriers…
CLC disappointed in court ruling on security certificates
May 16, 2014
The CLC is disappointed by a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that says it is constitutional for the government to use security certificates in detaining and trying people in Canada who are not citizens. The court’s judgment relates to the case of Citizenship and Immigration v. Harkat. Mohamed Harkat is a native-born Algerian and permanent resident of Canada who was…
Korea trade deal will hurt Canadian manufacturing: CLC says deal negotiated largely in secret
March 11, 2014
OTTAWA ― The president of the Canadian Labour Congress says the trade deal with South Korea signed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on March 11 was negotiated behind closed doors and that it could further hollow out Canada’s industrial sector. “This agreement, like the one with Europe, was negotiated largely behind closed doors,” says CLC president Ken Georgetti, “but as…
How Well is Public Health Care Protected from Canada-EU Free Trade?
January 3, 2014
Background Canada and the European Union (EU) are close to concluding a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Recently, Canada’s first offers to the European Union on Services and Investment were leaked to the public by the Quebec Network on Continental Integration (RQIC).1 Canada’s financial services offers were released on February 9, 2012. That same day, la Fédération Interprofessionelle de…