Bill C-247 Canada Labour Code
C-247 An Act to Amend the Canada Labour Code
Bill Type: Private Member’s Bill
Bill Sponsor: Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre)
Status: Introduced — October 6, 2025. This Bill hasn't passed yet.
Should Parliament be required to demonstrate that existing Law was enforced before passing new Legislation on the same issue?
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WHO GAINS POWER
- Unions and workers gain stronger leverage in labour disputes — the Minister of Labour loses the ability to intervene and push disputes toward settlement on the government's timeline
- The Canada Industrial Relations Board becomes the sole arbitrator — political interference through Ministerial direction is removed
- Workers in federally regulated industries gain the right to let a dispute run its course without the Minister stepping in
WHO LOSES POWER
- The Minister of Labour loses the authority to intervene in industrial disputes, refer questions to the Board or directs the Board to take action
- The federal government loses a key tool for managing labour disruptions in critical sectors — rail, ports, airlines, telecommunications
- Canadians affected by prolonged labour disputes in essential services lose the backstop of Ministerial intervention
WHO GAINS MONEY
- No direct financial beneficiaries named in the Bill
- Unions may gain stronger bargaining outcomes if employers can no longer count on government intervention to end strikes
WHO LOSES MONEY
- Federally regulated employers lose the option of Ministerial intervention as a pressure release valve in prolonged disputes
- Industries dependent on uninterrupted supply chains — shipping, rail, air — face higher risk of extended disruptions with no Ministerial remedy available
THE CATCH
- ⚠️ Section 107 is the Minister's emergency toolkit — repealing it doesn't just remove political interference, it removes the only mechanism for government to act when a labour dispute threatens public safety or the national economy
- ⚠️ No replacement mechanism provided — the Bill repeals the power but offers nothing in its place. If a port strike threatens food supply or a rail dispute halts grain shipments, Parliament has no tool to respond
- ⚠️ Timing is everything — this Bill was introduced by an NDP MP. The NDP has historically opposed back-to-work Legislation. This Bill would make back-to-work orders through Ministerial direction legally impossible in federally regulated sectors
- ⚠️ One sentence repeals decades of labour policy — Section 107 has been used repeatedly in major national disputes. Its removal would fundamentally shift the balance of power in every future federal labour negotiation
- ⚠️ Private Member's Bill with no government backing — a change this significant to federal labour law would normally require extensive consultation with industry, unions and provinces