The President of the NL Federation of Labour is firing back at comments made by Premier Andrew Furey in light of Ottawa sending the national railway labour dispute to binding arbitration.
In a post to social media, Premier Andrew Furey says the province depends on rail to send and receive essential services.
Furey says he spoke to Minister LeBlanc and MacKinnon and says while a deal reached through collective bargaining is preferred, Ottawa’s actions were necessary to “protect jobs, workers, public health and safety and the economy.”
That drew the ire of Jessica McCormick who says she’s very concerned about what Furey had to say.
She says the workers were locked out by their employer, and the fact that government is infringing on the collective bargaining rights of workers “sets a very dangerous precedent.”
She says employers can’t depend on government intervention as “a backstop to avoid good faith collective bargaining.”
Let’s be clear:
1. @TeamstersRail were locked out by their employer.
2. Government interfering in bargaining sets a very dangerous precedent.
3. Want to avoid work stoppages? Negotiate in good faith, pay fair wages & provide safe working conditions. https://t.co/X5DFYc7Wk0— Jessica McCormick (@jessmccormick) August 23, 2024