A private member's bill to ban the use of temporary replacement workers during labour disputes has been defeated in the Ontario legislature.
Bill 45, the Labour Relations Amendment Act (Replacement Workers) proposed by NDP Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas, would have made it illegal in Ontario for companies to install replacement workers during a strike or lockout.
It passed first reading last April, but was defeated during its second reading on March 31, with a vote of 28 to 16.
Similar legislation is already in place in Quebec and British Columbia, and was law in Ontario prior to 1995.
In a press release, Gelinas expressed her disappointment at the bill's defeat, saying she believes labour disputes are extended when replacemnet workers are utilized.
“I believe in creating healthy communities,” she said in the release. “But the use of temporary replacement workers tears the social fabric of our communities.”
Gelinas argued that “business can continue as usual” while temporary employees are used, and replacement workers are now considered “a regular part of doing business,” cropping up in industries that formerly did not use their services.
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