Job Protection: Legislation and Collective Agreements

Moderator:
Michelle Swenarchuk, Labour
Lawyer, Canadian Union of
Professional & Technical
Employees

Panelists:
Katherine McGuire, National
Representative, Research and
Legislation Branch, CLC

Monique Simard, Women's
Committee, CNTU

Canadian workers need improved and comprehensive legislation for the protection of their rights in light of the technological revolution. Trade unions are now beginning to address the issue, but, if all workers are to be protected, it is in legislation that such protections must be enshrined. The following principles should be retained:

• All technological changes must be negotiated between union and management.

• Unions should have access to all information relating to technological change.

• No reduction should be made in the workforce.

• Retraining.

• Limit on deskilling.

• Health protection should be instituted as soon as suspicions of possible problems arise.

• Micro technology should be introduced step-by-step, not all at once.

Action:

• Unions must embark on a broad campaign to educate their members on the impact of technological change.

• Unions must increase their effort to reach unorganized workers.

• Unions must struggle to strengthen the rights to strike and to organize.

• Women's groups, unions and other community organizations should unite in a coalition to develop a charter of rights protecting Canadians from the negative aspects of technological change.