OTTAWA – The Liberal government has set up a showdown with the Senate over whether workers should be required to unionize through a secret ballot.
Labour Minister Patty Hajdu told the Commons yesterday that the government won’t agree to changes to a bill that requires workers to sign unionization cards instead of holding a secret ballot in order to certify a bargaining unit.
Hajdu says the changes are needed to repair the damage done to labour relations and the union movement.
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The Liberal stance outraged Conservative MPs who accused the Liberals of acting like “tin-pot dictators” in rejecting the idea of a secret ballot.
Hajdu, however, rejected Tory claims the Liberals are pandering to the labour movement.
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Traditionally, the Senate would hold its nose and agree to the will of the Commons, even if MPs disagreed with senators.
But it’s unclear whether the Senate will follow tradition as it becomes more independent.