In a significant move for labour rights, the Manitoba government is reportedly planning to introduce anti-scab legislation and implement single-step union certification, a decision that has garnered strong support from Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union.
Unifor National President, Lana Payne, expressed her approval, stating, “This is an important move to help strengthen collective bargaining and workers’ rights in the province of Manitoba.” She pointed out that the use of replacement workers, commonly known as ‘scabs’, can undermine collective bargaining processes, escalate tensions on picket lines, and prolong labor disputes.
With this legislation, Manitoba would join British Columbia and Quebec as the third provincial jurisdiction in Canada to ban scabs. The Canadian federal government has also introduced similar legislation for federally regulated sectors.
Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director, emphasized the importance of these changes for workers. “Wealthy business owners will resist any pro-worker change to labour law, but these changes help workers. Our priority is making sure that Manitobans have good jobs with fair wages. Access to unionization and balanced collective bargaining is the best way to improve your rights at work,” McGarrigle said.
The proposed single-step union certification process is designed to make it easier for workers to form a union. This process was previously in place in Manitoba until it was removed in 2016 by then-Conservative Premier Brian Pallister. Quebec and British Columbia currently have single-step certification processes.
Unifor has been a long-time advocate for anti-scab legislation and the reduction of barriers to unionization. Representing 315,000 workers across various sectors, Unifor is committed to advocating for all working people and their rights, promoting equality and social justice, and striving for progressive change for a better future.
