Issue 122 – 26, October 4th, 2026
Bill 39 – Act to Weaken Workers Rights
Workers and their unions bargain for fair pay, safe workplaces, and respect on the job. When talks break down, a strike may be one of the few ways workers can put pressure on an employer. The right to strike is an important part of collective bargaining.
Tomorrow the Carney Liberal Government will bring Bill 39 to the House of Commons for a vote on second reading.
The labour movement now faces a serious challenge, governments using Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to stop strikes and send disputes to binding arbitration. Bill C-39 would keep this power and add new rules around how it is used.
Section 107 lets the federal Labour Minister direct the Canada Industrial Relations Board, or CIRB, to take steps the Minister believes will help maintain industrial peace and support the settlement of a labour dispute.
Since 2024, the federal government has used Section 107 to end work stoppages in several industries, including airlines, railways, ports, and Canada Post. In many cases, the CIRB was directed to end the strike or lockout and send the unresolved issues to binding arbitration.
Bill C-39 would require the Minister to consider a special mediator’s report before using Section 107 to end a strike or lockout. The Minister must also believe that the work stoppage harms, or may harm, the national interest.
The bill lists possible factors, such as effects on the economy, serious social disruption, and the right to freedom of association. But critics point out that the Minister is not required to follow the mediator’s advice or give equal weight to each factor. The Minister only has to consider the report and form an opinion.
That leaves a lot of power in one person’s hands. Using Section 107 this way violates workers’ Charter rights.
A strike is meant to give workers leverage at the bargaining table. If employers expect the government to end a strike, they will feel less pressure to make a fair offer. Workers will then have less power to win improvements through bargaining.
The bill also includes changes that may help workers in some situations. It would require certain new contractors to honour an existing collective agreement when they take over work from another contractor. It would also require the CIRB to order binding arbitration when either side asks for it to settle a first collective agreement.
For workplaces with a history of difficult negotiations, the bill would bring in earlier conciliation and mediation. These steps could give the parties more help before a dispute reaches a strike or lockout.
These changes may be useful. But they do not remove the main concern, the government would still have broad power to stop a work stoppage.
The right to strike is not just a tool for unions. It helps workers have a real voice when decisions affect their pay, safety, and working lives. If that right can be set aside whenever a government decides a dispute is too disruptive, it will give the balance of power to the employer.
Fighting back means defending the right to bargain freely, asking for clear limits on government power, and making sure workers have a say in decisions that affect them.
The labour movement won’t accept a system where strikes can be stopped by a Minister’s order. Strong collective bargaining depends on workers having the power to act together. Without that power, the balance at the bargaining table shifts toward employers and government.
That is why workers and their allies must stay informed, stand together, and speak up for the right to bargain and strike.
Read more - On Bill C-39: The Feds’ Controversial New Labour Law | Perspectives Journal
Read more - Bill C-39 would give Canadian government broadest strike intervention powers in G7 | Canadian Labour Congress
Read more - Employers cheer Bill C-39 restrictions on the right to strike | Canadian Labour Congress
Read more - Global labour body warns Bill C-39 could violate Canada’s international obligations | Canadian Labour Congress
World Day for Decent Work - October 7th
Every year on October 7, workers and unions around the world mark the World Day for Decent Work. This year’s theme, “Young Workers Organizing for the Future,” highlights the challenges young people face at work, and the steps they are taking to make things better.
Decent work means more than having a job. It means having work that pays fairly, is safe and secure, and treats people with respect. Workers should have equal opportunities, access to needed protections, and a voice in decisions that affect them. They should also be free to speak up and join with other workers.
The International Labour Organization introduced the idea of decent work in 1999. In 2015, the United Nations included it in Sustainable Development Goal 8, which calls for good jobs and fair, lasting economic growth for everyone.
Many young workers in Canada are dealing with high unemployment, low wages, insecure jobs and rising education costs. The cost of living is also making it harder to build a stable future. Changes to trade, including tariffs on Canadian goods, can add more uncertainty for workers and communities.
The figures show how serious the problem is. In Canada, unemployment among people aged 15 to 24 is 12.9%, about twice the national rate of 6.4%. Around the world, youth unemployment reached 12.4% in 2025, leaving nearly 67 million young people without work.
Some young people face even greater barriers. Black, Indigenous and racialized workers may experience discrimination and have fewer chances to find secure, well-paid jobs. A recent survey also found that 83% of young Canadians feel stressed about their career prospects. These worries are not a personal failure. They reflect an economy that is not giving everyone a fair chance.
Young workers deserve stable jobs, fair pay, safe workplaces and respect. They also deserve a say in the decisions that shape their working lives.
Unions help workers speak up together. When workers organize, they can raise concerns, ask for better conditions and take part in decisions at work. Young Workers Committees give members a place to share ideas and plan together.
Decent work benefits more than individual workers. Fair jobs help families and communities thrive and give people the chance to use their skills and contribute to society.
On World Day for Decent Work, we celebrate young workers who are leading change. Their organizing helps build stronger workplaces and a stronger union. When workers have a voice, fair treatment and secure jobs, every generation should have a better chance to build a decent future.
CLC affiliates will use the day to highlight the realities facing young workers, showcase how they are organizing and leading change, and demand policies that deliver decent jobs, living wages, secure employment and workers’ rights.
On 7 October, from 15:00 to 16:30 CEST, the ITUC will host the webinar ‘For Democracy: Young workers organizing for the future’, bringing together five young trade unionists who have experienced major protest movements over the past year.
Register - Webinar Registration - Zoom