December 13, 2012

Canadian Building Trades shoots down amendments to Bill C-377

OTTAWA

The Canadian Building Trades is disappointed with amendment made to Bill C-377 An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, calling them inadequate to skilled trade members across the country.

The amendment deals with fair application of the legislation was tabled in the House of Commons at Report Stage which makes the legislation apply to all not for profits involved in labour relations and workplace advocacy. This amendment tabled by Rodger Cuzner, MP for Cape Breton-Canso, is an attempt to make the legislation apply to all who are involved in workplace advocacy and labour relations issues, the Building Trades said.

The bill is only applicable to unions and labour organizations — members of many other workplace advocacy organizations get the same tax benefit and yet are not required to report.

“The Government of Canada has to make a leadership choice — either to be drawn into commercial competition issues between unionized and non-unionized construction entities or enable legislation that ought to be fair balanced and equally applied,” said Robert Blakely, Director of Canadian Affairs for the Building Trades, adding that the Cuzner amendment does that.

"The really sad thing about this is that we ought to working in partnership with the Government of Canada on job creation and skills developments not this sort of nonsense."

John Telford, the Canadian director of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, says the bill will cost the federal government more money to set up and run.

“The Canada Revenue Agency indicated that it will cost more than $10 million dollars for set up costs for 1000 local unions and $2 million per year thereafter. In Canada, there are more than 25,000 labour organizations as defined under the Bill."

DCN NEWS SERVICES

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