A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.
Shippers call on feds to protect supply chains against labour disruptions
Shippers are calling on Ottawa to better protect supply chains from labour disruptions after a string of work stoppages over the past 15 months.
In an open letter to the federal government Friday, executives from 10 industry groups demanded that political leaders take action to ease the threat of strikes at key transport hubs and arteries.
The organizations, which range from the Chamber of Marine Commerce to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, say recent job action has hurt employers, the economy and the country's reputation as a reliable trading partner.
"Our supply chains have been severely tested in recent years, and it's becoming inconceivable for a country like Canada to see its economy weakened with every collective agreement negotiation," said Karl Blackburn, president of the Quebec Council of Employers, in an interview.
He and other signatories have asked Ottawa to consider how to balance workers' rights against maintaining critical transport services, though the letter offers no policy proposals.
"We're loath to give any prescriptive suggestions about where they should go," said Jason Card, a spokesman for the Chamber of Marine Commerce.
He highlighted the federal government's two main levers for dispute resolution: back-to-work legislation and directives from the labour minister for the country's labour tribunal to impose binding arbitration.
Some experts say both options risk undermining workers' collective bargaining rights. Card argued the mechanisms amount to "discretionary measures that politicize supply chains" and offer little predictability.
"You're pitting the interests of labour against the interests of consumers and businesses and often our own quality of life," he said.
Despite steering clear of proposals for reform, Card said the United States offers one blueprint on how to handle transport standoffs.
Legislation allows the president to create an emergency board to investigate major labour disputes that involve railways or airlines. Work stoppages are prohibited during the process.
The board issues recommendations within 30 days, followed by a one-month cooling off period. If no deal has been reached, the parties must then explain to the board why they have not accepted its proposals. Only after that dance plays out do strikes and lockouts become an option.
Card said the board effectively acts as a pressure valve and a means of clarifying the issues at stake.
"What they're doing is they're getting underneath the situation to have facts that everyone can look at: 'This is why we're at loggerheads.' Then everyone's working from the same information," he said.
In Canada, federal mediators often work with both sides to try to find a compromise and secure a contract -- before and after job action kicks off. At the moment, two of them are overseeing talks between employers and the union representing nearly 1,200 dockworkers who launched a strike on all overtime shifts at the Port of Montreal on Thursday.
Parties can also agree to enter into binding arbitration.
Canada's cargo highways and hubs have faced several labour disruptions over the past four years, on top of the backlogs and bottlenecks of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two main railways shut down operations for several days in August amid a lockout prompted by strike threats, halting freight and commuter traffic across the country.
Last October, an eight-day strike by employees on the locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway stopped shipments of grain, iron ore and gasoline along the trade corridor.
A strike by 7,400 B.C. dockworkers dragged on for 13 days in July 2023, shutting down the country's biggest port and costing the economy billions of dollars.
And in Montreal, longshore workers went on strike for five days in April 2021 and in August 2020 in a 12-day job action that left 11,500 containers languishing on the waterfront.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.
'We all got through it': Canadian family stuck in Cuba recalls ordeal amid massive blackout
Ellen Francis says she and her family were having a great time at one of Cuba's famously stunning beaches and exploring the popular tourist town of Varadero when the situation turned into something like a scary movie.
Cooldown expected across Canada before above-seasonal temperatures return
Canada is getting served a smorgasbord of weather this week. The West saw its first sign of winter, while the eastern half of Canada experienced summer-like temperatures on Tuesday.
Man charged after attempting to force his way into the House of Commons: police
On the tenth anniversary of the shooting on Parliament Hill, a man was arrested and charged with trespassing as he attempted to push past security guards into the House of Commons.
One dead in multistate E. coli outbreak tied to McDonald's Quarter Pounders, CDC says
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a food safety alert Tuesday regarding an E. coli outbreak that it says is linked with McDonald鈥檚 Quarter Pounders.
Former Conservative leader says Trudeau 'should move on' amid efforts to oust him
Former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'should move on,' as he faces growing inner-caucus turmoil.
Kevin Vickers says 'not a day that goes by' he doesn't think about Parliament Hill shooting
On the 10-year anniversary of the deadly Parliament Hill shooting, former sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers says there's 'not a day that goes by' where he doesn't think about it.
With the B.C. election too close to call, Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked Tuesday how she feels about the possibility of a party that has repeatedly called for her firing forming government.
Local Spotlight
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.
A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.
A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.
Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.
The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.
A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.
A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the 鈥楩ellow in Yellow.鈥