The US Federal Reserve will make major changes to Canadian employment regulations – National

The Liberal government is expected to propose major changes to Canada’s employment laws when MPs return to Parliament Hill for the fall session this week.

One of the first bills proposed was to amend the Canadian Labor Code to change the government’s authority to intervene in strikes and lockouts.

House Leader Steven MacKinnon told reporters recently that his focus is not on preventing the right to strike.

“What we want to do is make it easier to reach a mutual agreement,” he said. “We want to put federal resources to the benefit of those parties and, you know, very rare cases where we have chronic problems.”

The changes are expected to affect Article 107 of the labor law, a tool that in recent years has been used to halt or limit work stoppages in key industries.

Last summer, Employment Minister Patty Hajdu used the section to order binding arbitration hours after an Air Canada flight attendant crossed the picket line, referring the dispute to the Canadian Industrial Relations Board.

The flight attendants ignored the order and continued their strike until an agreement was reached several days later.

Hajdu said on Saturday that no government wanted to intervene in the strike and gave few details about plans to change the rules, adding that the government already had the power to intervene.

“The point is to reduce the time during which the government is forced to resolve problems faced by employers and trade unions,” he said.

Unions and business leaders have spoken out about this section.

Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labor Congress, said the right to strike is in the national interest.

“Any new powers to prevent or stop lawful strikes, including before they start, would weaken those powers. Canada needs workers ready to help, not hands tied,” Bruske said in a statement.

Derrick Hynes, CEO of Federally Regulated Employers-Transportation and Communications, said changes must include tools that can help avoid what he called “catastrophic” employment disruptions.

“The inclusion of a neutral third-party specialized mediator who can provide public reports on negotiations and inform government actions would be a significant step forward,” he said.

MacKinnon, Hajdu and Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for Canada-US Relations, are expected to hold a joint media conference on Monday. According to a news release, the ministers will talk about legislation to be introduced “that will build Canada strong.”

Premier Mark Carney said Friday that the “Building a Strong Canada Act” would speed up the approval of new federal projects.

“One project, one review, one year,” Carney told reporters.

It is unclear whether changes to employment regulations will be included in the bill, although MacKinnon hinted at “improvements” to the regulations on his agenda.

Busy autumn

It’s not just changes to labor regulations or accelerated federal projects that are on the agenda this fall.

The Carney government’s second budget is expected to be released in the next few months. Carney told investors at an investment summit last week that his government plans to balance the operating budget next year, 12 months ahead of schedule. He provided some other details about what to expect.

Debate is expected to continue over legislation including Bill C-22, the legal access bill, which is still pending in the Senate.

A bill that would regulate AI chatbots and limit social media access for children under 16 is also being advanced to the House of Representatives.

Carney is also expected to face more questions about failed trade talks with the US after the prime minister recalled his negotiators last month just before the Trump administration’s 50 percent tariffs took effect.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has asked Carney to release details of the deal abandoned by the government, which the prime minister said included touch points around the automotive sector and the French language that prompted his departure from the negotiating table.

Recently, the Opposition also urged Carney to hold a debate after the EU and the prime minister announced the proposed alliance. Carney said the deal would be brought to Parliament for discussion and a vote, but Poilievre stressed Canada should not import what the Conservative Party describes as bad European policies on issues such as immigration and taxes.

More by-elections

While that won’t happen until at least October, Canadians in several provinces may return to the polls this fall as six seats remain vacant.

Saskatchewan MPs Cathay Wagantall, Shaun Chen and Larry Brock in Ontario, and Steven Guilbeault, Alexandre Boulerice and Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay in Quebec have all resigned their seats in recent months.

General elections must be held within six months of the seat becoming vacant. Seats in Quebec are vacated between June and August, but due to a provincial election on October 5, it is unlikely that a federal by-election will take place before Quebecers head to the polls.

—with files from Mackenzie Gray of Global News and The Canadian Press

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