April 28, 2005

Presentation made

Union wants card-based system of certification

By Grant Cameron

staff writer

The Canadian Auto Workers union wants the government to restore a card-based union certification process in Ontario.

The union made a presentation Tuesday to the Ontario Standing Committee on Social Policy and asked that the government reinstate the system.

Government is currently considering amendments — known as Bill 144 — to the Labour Relations Act.

“Bill 144 reinstates a card-check system for construction workers only, a predominantly male sector,” said Peggy Nash, CAW assistant to the president. “The legislation discriminates against workers in the highly non-union sectors such as hospitality, cleaning services, food services, retail/wholesale, clerical, which predominantly employ women.

“Excluding sectors that employ large numbers of women from the right to join a union through the card-check system is blatantly sexist and discriminatory.”

The card-check system was ended by the previous Tory government. It had allowed workers to become unionized automatically once 55 per cent or more signed union cards.

The current vote-based system forces a vote even if a majority have already signed cards, giving employers time to intimidate workers against voting for a union.

In contrast, the federal Labour Code requires that 50 per cent of workers sign union membership cards to automatically certify a union.

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