Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu argues that unions will gain leverage under Bill C-39, an omnibus bill introduced by the Liberal government in May 2024. The bill amends Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, which grants broad powers to the minister to maintain industrial peace during major project disputes. Under the new proposal, a special mediator will assess bargaining dynamics and provide a public report unless an agreement is reached, potentially impacting company reputations negatively if they refuse to negotiate in good faith. Despite Hajdu's claims, unions like the Canadian Union of Public Employees remain concerned about potential threats to labour rights under these changes.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-27,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Unions have new leverage, not less, under Liberals' new major projects bill: jobs minister
Bill C-39 proposes to amend controversial portion of the Canada Labour Code
Though organized labour is pushing back against the Carney government's latest major projects bill — which aims to amend a controversial portion of the Labour Code — Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu says unions will have new leverage, not less, under the proposal.
asserted
unions → have → proposal
"It's meant to provide, first of all, another tool to parties to understand what the dynamics are and why they're struggling to get to that deal," Hajdu said in an interview on Rosemary Barton Live airing Sunday morning.
asserted
Hajdu → mean → Barton
The federal government introduced Bill C-39 on Monday, an omnibus bill that includes changes to Section 107 of the Labour Code — a provision that gives the minister responsible broad powers to "maintain or secure industrial peace.
asserted
that → introduce → peace
Since 2024, the federal government has come under fire for repeatedly using Section 107 to order striking workers back on the job and begin binding arbitration.
asserted
government → come → arbitration
Under Bill C-39, the federal government can appoint a special mediator for 21 days, who would then provide a report to the minister, which sets out the bargaining issues and both sides' positions, and assess the likelihood of an agreement.
asserted
which → appoint → agreement
The report, with recommendations, would be released publicly five days after being issued — unless the parties strike a deal.
asserted
parties → release → deal
The report also must be considered by the minister before invoking Section 107 to order workers back to their jobs.
asserted
report → consider → jobs
Hajdu told host Rosemary Barton that public release is where she thinks union members will have "new leverage."
asserted
members → tell → leverage
"In the past, if an employer was refusing to bargain or was removing things from previous offers or acting in a way that was not bargaining in good faith, the union members could talk about it, but they couldn't necessarily prove it," Hajdu said.
uncertain
Hajdu → refuse → it
"And that mediator's report — should it become public — is not going to be pleasant for a company's shareholders [or] their reputation in Canada and worldwide.
asserted
it → become → Canada
Nobody wants to know that their shipper had a deal at the table and didn't pick it up."
asserted
shipper → want → it
Still, unions remain deeply worried about what the bill means for labour rights.
asserted
bill → remain → rights
Under the bill, the minister must also be of the belief an ongoing strike or lockout "adversely affects or may adversely affect the national interest" before issuing their order.
uncertain
strike → affect → order
Hajdu used the Section 107 provision to order Air Canada flight attendants back to work last summer.
asserted
Hajdu → use → work
But the union ultimately defied that order and a tentative agreement was reached days later.
asserted
agreement → defy → order
On Tuesday, the Canadian Union of Public Employees said it passed a unanimous resolution vowing to defy Bill C-39 if passed unamended through Parliament.
asserted
it → say → Parliament
Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, said in a statement her group welcomes some measures in the bill, "but on the right to strike, the government broke its promise to workers."
"This bill gives government the new and expanded power to end a legal strike when it decides the strike is, or could be, against the national interest," Bruske said.
uncertain
Bruske → say → interest
"We reject the idea that workers' bargaining power is somehow contrary to the national interest."
asserted
power → reject → interest
On Friday, government House leader Steven MacKinnon told CBC's The House there is a constitutional right to strike in Canada, and the bill is meant to implement guardrails.
asserted
bill → tell → guardrails
When asked how labour groups can view this bill so differently than the government, MacKinnon said the federal government has "no interest in getting in the middle of labour negotiations."
asserted
government → ask → negotiations
AFN chief concerned about consultation
It's not just unions concerned about Bill C-39 in its current form: Indigenous groups are also raising alarms about provisions meant to speed up project approvals.
asserted
groups → concern → approvals
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse-Nepinak told Barton that First Nations understand Canada is facing difficult times, but her team is also seeing red flags in the bill — namely its intent to finish federal reviews within one year of a proponent submitting an application.
asserted
proponent → tell → application
"The truth is that any predetermined timeline, principally designed to attract investment, subordinates the honour of the Crown to commercial imperatives," Woodhouse-Nepinak said.
"
asserted
Nepinak → predetermine → imperatives
The government has described Bill C-39 as the most consequential legislation in decades.
asserted
government → describe → decades
Then we expect the legislation to be matched by an equally consequential level of parliamentary consideration and public review," she added.
asserted
she → expect → consideration
Federal ministers, including Hajdu and MacKinnon, have emphasized there will be opportunities for interest groups to weigh in on the bill.
asserted
groups → include → bill
The Carney government is planning to use a parliamentary tool not seen since the Harper government to prioritize study of Bill C-39, called a "legislative committee."
asserted
government → plan → Bill
A legislative committee is a bespoke group of parliamentarians who are designated to study only one particular bill, allowing it to leapfrog other business underway by standing committees.
asserted
it → designate → committees
It's not yet known when this committee's work will begin.
asserted
work → know → ?
The mechanism has been used in the past for some of the most consequential laws in Canadian history, including the Clarity Act in 2000 and the 2005 Civil Marriage Act, which legalized same-sex marriage across the country.
asserted
which → use → country
Woodhouse-Nepinak said Canada should make sure it dedicates enough time for people to weigh in on the bill head on.
asserted
people → say → bill
Hearing from all people," she said.
asserted
she → hear → people
The Aporia
