Where do parties stand on workers' rights? Hamilton labour leaders want answers this federal election

For Burlington, Ont., letter carrier Tracey Langille, the right to strike will be on her mind when she goes to vote in the federal election.

Langille is among about 55,000 striking Canada Post workers who returned to the job in December after the Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered an end to their roughly one-month strike. She's also president of Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) Local 548, which represents about 1,600 members at 16 workplaces in the Hamilton area.

Whenever the government intervenes in a strike, issues are left unsettled, Langille said at the time, calling the board's decision an "attack on labour."

Canada Post workers were among others ordered to return to work while exercising their right to strike last year. In August, the federal labour board sent back striking rail workers, and in October, the federal labour minister said striking port workers in Quebec and British Columbia would have to return to their jobs. 

• Read all of CBC Hamilton's coverage of the federal election here. 

Letter carrier wants public services protected 

CUPW is challenging the constitutionality of the back-to-work order and took part in mediated negotiations with Canada Post in March. As well, a federal commission examining Canada Post may recommend changes, including to its collective agreement with workers. It is expected to report to the labour minister by May 15. 

Langille said negotiations have not resolved the outstanding issues, and worries the commission process will favour what the employer wants over the employees. 

In an April 3 statement on its website, Canada Post warned there could be a labour disruption as early as May 22.

"This is not the message we hoped to be sharing at this time," it said. 

Langille said she and her co-workers have been "on pins and needles" waiting to find out what happens next.

For them, Langille said, the future of Canada Post and other public institutions is an election issue.

Canadians "deserve accessible and affordable public services," she said.

CUPW is running a campaign called Hands Off My Post Office, which warns against privatizing the postal service — something the union accuses Canada Post of working toward. For its part, the employer says it's "committed to securing the future of the postal service by modernizing our operations and enhancing service." 

The CUPW campaign asks federal candidates to pledge their support. The union is not endorsing a party, but sent members an election "report card" grading major parties on a rubric, including their commitment to the right to strike and expanding postal services.

Workers feel they're 'under attack'

"Public service jobs are decent jobs, and that's something across the country that we have to fight for," said Marc LaPointe, a letter carrier in Guelph, Ont. "Decent jobs across this country are becoming harder and harder to come by."

LaPointe, who is working on the Hands Off My Post Office campaign, said that in Canada, "workers feel like they're under attack" as they struggle to get by while the wealthy profit. 

Langille said her members worry about the cost of basics like food and housing, as well as economic uncertainty driven by the U.S.-Canada trade war.

"They're concerned about where it stops," she said. "We don't know how much of a pinch everybody is going to feel."

Mason Fitzpatrick is president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3906, which represents about 3,700 teaching assistants, sessional faculty, postdoctoral fellows and residence life workers. 

He said his members have similar concerns to those of the postal workers, especially since many are precariously employed. Like Langille and LaPointe, Fitzpatrick said the right to strike is top of mind this election. Another priority is federal funding for post-secondary schools.

CUPE has endorsed the NDP but Local 3906 has yet to endorse any candidates.

Fitzpatrick said he feels that generally, the NDP has supported workers. He said he's concerned the cabinet that Liberal Leader Mark Carney announced before the election began two and a half weeks ago lacked a labour minister, calling that "a really bad sign." 

Fitzpatrick also said he doesn't trust Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, despite Poilievre's efforts in recent years to pitch his party as one for the working class. 

Who private-sector unions are supporting

The Conservatives have received endorsements from some private-sector unions, including the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and Local 67 of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA).

Local 67 business manager Nathan Bergstrand, who represents members in Hamilton, spoke at a Conservative rally in the city's east last month, when he praised Poilievre. In a written endorsement, he called him "the best choice for Canadian workers" and said Poilievre has pledged not to entertain or introduce anti-union legislation.

CBC Hamilton reached out to Bergstrand, his local and the Hamilton-area boilermakers local for comment but did not receive responses by publication time.

Anthony Marco, president of the Hamilton and District Labour Council — whose members include public- and private-sector unions — said he doesn't think the average union member votes much differently from the average Canadian. He also said members don't necessarily vote based on their union's endorsements.

The labour council has endorsed Matthew Green, the NDP candidate for Hamilton Centre, and will consider further endorsements at an upcoming meeting, Marco said.

Overall, Marco said, workers of all kinds are concerned about issues like housing and education — topics he wants to hear more about on the campaign trail. 

He also said that if workers want change, they need to unite regardless of union affiliation.

"When I talk about the working class, I'm talking about a broad-based group of working people that are 99 per cent of the population. And if they can give up those divisions and start to realize that the power that they have is working with each other, then that's what we need to do."

What the parties are promising

CBC Hamilton asked the four major political parties how they would respond to the economic impacts of the trade war in a way that specifically supports workers, whether their party plans to keep Canada Post public, what their stance on legislating striking workers back to work is, and how they would support unionized and non-unionized workers if elected April 28.

Here's some of what they said. 

Conservative Party

Conservative spokesperson Sam Lily said the party has "no plan to make any changes to Canada Post."

In an email, he directed CBC Hamilton to multiple announcements the party made on topics related to tariffs, supporting workers and "pro-worker policy."

These include a promise to remove GST from the sale of new cars made in Canada, a pledge to allow travelling trades workers to write off the full cost of food, transportation and accommodation, and a plan to train 350,000 trades workers. 

On back-to-work legislation, Lily pointed to a response by Poilievre in September, when he was asked about potential back-to-work legislation for Air Canada pilots, as an example of his position on the issue: "I would call on Air Canada to negotiate in good faith with the pilots. We're not going to support pre-empting those negotiations," the leader said at the time. 

Green Party

The Green Party did not respond to CBC Hamilton's questions.

The party has made a number of promises related to the cost of living, including raising the amount of untaxed income to $40,000, creating a guaranteed livable income and expanding paid leave to elder care, miscarriage and other family needs.

Liberal Party

In March, the Liberals announced a $2-billion plan to protect the auto industry during the trade war. The party also made changes to employment insurance that it said would make it easier for workers to qualify if, for example, their hours were cut.

The party also said it would invest revenue from retaliatory tariffs back to workers. 

"Our party will always be a strong ally to workers and unions, especially as we respond to unjustified tariffs from the U.S. and economic uncertainty. We will have more to say in the weeks," Liberal Party spokesperson Mohammad Hussain said in an email Friday.

New Democratic Party

In a statement on behalf of the party, Hamilton Centre candidate Matthew Green said his party would support workers affected by the trade war through measures including investments in employment insurance, a retrofit and infrastructure plan and giving "every dollar" raised from tariffs to affected workers.

Green said the NDP would keep Canada Post public, and have "proposed creative solutions for Canada Post to continue to support Canadians."

On back-to-work legislation, he said the NDP would uphold bargaining rights"every time," and never legislate strikers back to work. The party would also look to amend the Labour Code to prevent the government from sending striking workers back. 

And when it comes to supporting workers, Green said everything his party does is motivated by helping working- and middle class families "build a good life." He said the NDP supports workers in fights for better working conditions and believes in reforming employment support programs to better protect self-employed and gig workers.