WINNIPEG — Labour protesters briefly disrupted proceedings inside the Manitoba legislature Wednesday as they shouted and jeered at Premier Brian Pallister over a proposed law on union certification.
“Shame on that Conservative government,” one of the few dozen protesters shouted from the public gallery.
“You push us, we push back,” shouted another as the bill was introduced. Legislature speaker Myrna Driedger tried unsuccessfully to persuade the protesters to be quiet. Security escorted them out a couple of minutes later.
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The bill would require a secret-ballot vote any time workers wanted to unionize. Currently, no vote is required if 65 per cent or more of employees in a workplace sign union membership cards.
Pallister said a secret vote would help prevent union intimidation of workers. He said the protest was an example of such intimidation and added he won’t back down in the face of more protests.
“They’re welcome to follow me around as long as it’s not an attempt to intimidate. And I would encourage all Manitobans not to allow that kind of behaviour.”
The Progressive Conservatives promised the labour bill in the campaign for the April 19 provincial election in which they won the largest majority government in Manitoba in a century.
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The Tories introduced a handful of other bills Wednesday that fulfill election promises, including one that calls for the elimination of an annual subsidy for political parties based on how many votes they received in previous elections.
The Tories never accepted the money and said taxpayers should not be forced to donate to political parties. They still managed to raise far more funds than the other parties, even while in opposition.
The NDP collected $195,000 a year from the subsidy — about one-fifth of all their revenue. Interim NDP leader Flor Marcelino said losing the subsidy would affect her party, but would have more of an impact on smaller parties such as the Liberals and the Greens.
“Our province is better served if there’s not just two or three parties,” she said.
The Liberals received $63,000 a year from the subsidy — almost one-third of their revenues.
Royce Koop, who teaches political science at the University of Manitoba, said the end of the subsidy would give more clout to the Tories.
“It’ll certainly entrench the Conservatives’ lead when it comes to fundraising in the province.”
The government also introduced a bill to repeal the province’s balanced-budget law, which had been altered several times over the last decade by the NDP. Pallister has promised to replace it with a new one in the fall.
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