Dear Sisters and Brothers:
Card Certification
Union representation and collective bargaining should be seen as a fundamental right in a democratic society. A card-based system for obtaining a union helps to assure that right by reducing the ability of an employer to intimidate employees who wish to join a union. Card-based certification was a key feature of Ontario’s labour relations system for 45 years.
Look at the attached chart. Card certification was introduced into Ontario with its post-war Labour Relations Act in 1950. It existed under Conservative Premiers, such as Leslie Frost, John Robarts and Bill Davis. Liberal Premier David Peterson and NDP Premier Bob Rae kept it.
Card certification was scrapped by the ultra Conservative Premier Mike Harris. This policy was continued under Ernie Eves’ short tenure.
In the proposed legislation of Dalton McGuinty, card certification will be extended only to employees in the Construction Sector.
Thus thousands of service sector and industrial workers, many of whom are women, people of colour and youth will be denied fair access to unionization. Part-time and other contingent workers searching for longer hours or better shifts are just as mobile as construction workers, yet without card certification their access to unionization will be seriously restricted.
Contact your MPP immediately. Let them know that the McGuinty Government must reject the anti-worker agenda of the Harris/Eves era.
In addition, send a letter to both Premier Dalton McGuinty and the Minister of Labour, Chris Bentley, and let them know in no uncertain terms that you expected them to reject the Harris/Eves agenda – not continue it.
In solidarity,
WAYNE SAMUELSON
President
WS:fc:cope343
E. Birkett-LaValley
I. Harris
OFL Executive Board
Encl:
http://ofl.ca/uploads/library/labour_relations/Card_Certification.pdf
