Roundup: A recommendation to the Industrial Relations Board

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The rail duopoly lived up to their plans and locked out workers at midnight last night, and lo, the business lobbies across this country howled, and railed that the federal government didn’t prevent this from happening. Why didn’t they pre-emptively impose binding arbitration, they asked? Well, they actually can’t. They don’t have the legal authority to, they can only recommend it to the Industrial Relations Board, who can recommend binding arbitration, but they also know that the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that there is a Charter right to collective bargaining, so why they would imperil that right before the courts is something that these business lobbyists haven’t bothered answering. Seriously, it’s an issue. But also, these same lobbyists didn’t blame the rail duopoly for the lockout, which is also a problem because they didn’t need to do that.

By the end of the day, labour minister Steve MacKinnon declared that the issues at the bargaining table were at an impasse, and made his recommendation to the Board that they end the lockout that could include binding arbitration, but also extending their previous collective agreement to now, so that they can get trains rolling again in a matter of days, should the Board agree to these recommendations—but they may not! They’re arm’s-length, and recent court decisions show that the test for these kinds of tactics are a high bar.

The NDP, meanwhile, had a predictable meltdown over this, saying it was “anti-worker” and trotted out their lines about corporations without necessarily actually understanding what happened with the referral to the Board, who will make their own determination. Jagmeet Singh also took to the microphones to insist that he won’t support any back-to-work legislation (which is unlikely to be necessary), even if it’s a confidence measure…which doesn’t matter, because the Conservatives would support it. To add to this, pretty much every headline in the country got the point of binding arbitration wrong, making it sound like the minister ordered it when he doesn’t have that legal authority. This shouldn’t have to be so hard, and yet…

Ukraine Dispatch

Russian guided bombs killed two civilians in Sumy region, while evacuations continue from Pokrovosk in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian drones have been attacking an airbase in Volgograd in Russia. President Zelenskyy visited the Sumy region, which borders Kursk. CBC has been speaking to people in Kursk, hearing about Russians disillusioned by their own government, and conscripts surrendering to Ukrainians.

https://twitter.com/ukraine_world/status/1826629421236977861

Good reads:

  • The government is banning the sale of flavoured tobacco pouches at convenience stores and gas stations within the next six months.
  • Billions of dollars in federal contracts earmarked for Indigenous and Métis businesses have gone to companies who have not proved Indigenous identity.
  • The Crown is seeking to have at least six current and former security officers testify behind closed doors in a lawsuit by a Canadian citizen detained in Sudan.
  • Manitoba will be moving ahead with free contraception in the province, while they continue to negotiate with the federal government.
  • Alberta’s oilfield policies continue to disadvantage municipalities, who can’t get the tax revenue from those wells that they are owed.
  • Emmett Macfarlane assesses a possible court challenge to Doug Ford’s decision to close safe consumption sites across Ontario.
  • Matt Gurney is not convinced that a “homelessness minister” in Ontario is going to solve any of the problems all of the other ministers can’t.
  • Susan Delacourt wants Trudeau to quit dodging the question of why he thinks he deserves another election win.

Odds and ends:

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