Members of Parliament voted 167 to 101 on second reading to send Bill C-257 to Committee for review. NDP and Bloc MPs were unanimous in their support. The Liberal MPs overwhelmingly supported the Bill. And, Conservatives MPs chipped in sufficient support to give Bill C-257 more than the 153 votes needed to pass. We hope the Bill will come back before the House for third reading and final vote early next year.
Bill C-257 is a Private Members Bill, on which all Members of Parliament are free to vote their conscience and the interests of their constituents, except by Parliamentary rules the whipped front benches of the governing party. The significance of the vote; for the first time an overwhelming majority of Members of Parliament from all parties supported our position on replacement workers as a matter of personal belief and constituent interest. The vote in support would have even been larger if MPs who missed the vote had been present and if whipped MPs could have voted their conscience,
In this campaign, every vote counted as we pushed for a majority vote of MPs and Locals and Joint Councils worked to secure key votes – it made the difference. Well done!
Teamsters Canada also thanks the NDP and Bloc MPs for their support. Mr. Denis Coderre (M.P. Bourassa and Liberal Labour Critic) committed to this project and delivered the Liberal MP support needed to achieve majority support for the Bill. Mr. Jeff Watson, MP Essex helped marshal Conservative support that put the icing on the cake.
This is a great victory and the significance of it sends a message that politicians understand. But, we will not achieve our goal until a replacement workers bill is law. Teamsters Canada will continue to work with the Canadian Labour Congress on this lobbying effort. Working together we will eventually prevail.
How did your MP vote? – A link to Hansard