Sask. NDP won’t commit to ban on replacement workers

Federal NDP pushes ‘anti-scab’ bill, but provincial wing is not yet sold on notion

The provincial NDP is hesitating to take a position on so-called “anti-scab” legislation for Saskatchewan, a day after its federal cousin promised to introduce such a bill in the House of Commons.

David Forbes, labour critic for the Saskatchewan NDP, said Wednesday that the party is planning to engage in consultations over the issue and wants to ensure there are no “unintended consequences.”

The federal NDP sent out a news release Tuesday that specifically cited the ongoing dispute between Unifor and the Co-op Refinery Complex. The company has relied in part on replacement workers — derided as “scabs” in union parlance — to keep the refinery running during the 57-day-long lockout.

‘’The use of scabs undermines workers’ ability to negotiate fairly and it hurts labour relations. Scabs prolong strikes and give the employer little incentive to reach a fair deal,” said a statement attributed to NDP MP Scott Duvall, who represents Hamilton Mountain.

“In Regina, the company’s use of scabs has raised many concerns,” he added.

Speaking at the Hotel Saskatchewan on Wednesday, Unifor national president Jerry Dias commended the federal NDP for Duvall’s proposed legislation.

But federal legislation would have no effect on the refinery, which is under provincial jurisdiction. Currently, only British Columbia and Quebec ban the use of replacement workers in labour disputes at provincially regulated facilities. The Saskatchewan Employment Act does not address the issue.

The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour called on all parties to change that.

“Scabs undermine the wages of real working people, lengthen labour disputes, and are simply tools used by greedy employers to divide communities,” said a statement from Lori Johb, SFL president. “The federation of labour encourages all political parties to support legislation that bans the use of scabs.”

The Saskatchewan Party government’s position on the issue is clear.

It plans to stick with the status quo. “Our government believes that current labour legislation respects the rights of both employers and employees, and we would oppose legislation that would remove this balance,” said a statement from Jim Billington, press secretary to Premier Scott Moe.

While NDP MLAS have been occasional visitors to the front lines of the refinery blockade, the party is still pinning down its position on replacement workers.

Forbes said the NDP will have a “complete package” on labour rights ready before the upcoming provincial election, which is expected this fall. He said the possibility of legislation on replacement workers will be examined in that context.

“We’re going to be looking at this. We’re going to be consult more with different stakeholders,” said Forbes. “We feel there are different ways, different tools, that are effective as well.”

He said the NDP will discuss any proposals with “both sides,” presumably meaning employers and labour. He expects the current lockout at the refinery will provide “a lot of lessons learned.”