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Winnipeg Free Press: Manitoba anti-scab law criticized as unconstitutional

Fiona Odlum — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 17:45:28 +0000

Brandon Trask, an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba’s faculty of law, said the addition to the Labour Relations Act, which passed in an omnibus budget bill in November, doesn’t just make it an unfair labour practice for a company to employ replacement workers. It goes a step further by banning employees from working during a strike.

“(This law) in practice removes the right of any worker to choose whether to join a strike or cross a picket line,” he said.

To read the entire article, please follow the link to the Winnipeg Free Press.

CBC Manitoba: A labour studies expert reacts to the ruling sending Canada Post workers back to work

Fiona Odlum — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 17:48:56 +0000

News that Canada Post employees are being told to return to work Tuesday was met with mixed emotions from Manitobans on Monday.

The month-long impasse between the Canada Industrial Relations Board and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers ended after federal Labour Minister Stephen MacKinnon directed the board Friday to order the 55,000 picketing employees back to work.

A five per cent wage increase was agreed upon, and it will be implemented retroactive to the day after the collective agreements expired.

Following a month of striking, Canada Post workers will be back on their delivery routes across the country starting tomorrow. Dr. Adam D.K. King is an assistant professor of Labour Studies at the University of Manitoba. He shared his reaction to the news with Up To Speed host Faith Fundal.

To listen to the full conversation follow the link to CBC Manitoba: Up to Speed.

Global News Winnipeg: ‘Feeling the pinch’: Potential postal strike may be first of many, Manitoba prof says

Fiona Odlum — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 22:12:43 +0000

A supply chain management professor at the University of Manitoba says strikes and lockouts — like the two port actions in Vancouver and Montreal, as well as a potential postal strike — are something Canadians should expect to see more of in the future.

“Something I think is worth contemplating — why are we seeing so many strikes across the country? There is a real problem in terms of affordability, and people are feeling the pinch,” Barry Prentice told 680 CJOB’s Connecting Winnipeg.

“People are needing more money in order to feel that they can survive, whether it be food prices or high rents or mortgagees they have to pay, so it’s not unreasonable that we’re seeing this …and I think we’re going to see a lot more.”

To read the entire story, please visit Global News Winnipeg.

Western Producer: Damage assessed as railways resume operations

Fiona Odlum — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 17:49:46 +0000

Bruce Curran, a University of Manitoba law professor who specializes in labour law, said that even though the teamsters union plans to challenge the back-to-work ruling, disruption is unlikely for at least another year.

The binding arbitration decision that sets terms of the bargaining agreement will happen in coming weeks. Curran suggested the judicial review sought by the union will not come to court for about six months. Even if the court finds that the back-to-work decision was a mistake, it is unlikely the collective agreement arising from arbitration would be torn up.

To read the full article, please visit Western Producer.

CBC Manitoba: Remember the hot Summer of strikes in 2023? What about the Fall of 2024?

Fiona Odlum — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 18:40:14 +0000

Guest host Faith Fundal speaks with David Camfield, professor of the labour studies program at the University of Manitoba, about how the past year might show what the next year could look like in labour relations.

To listen to the full interview, please visit CBC Manitoba.