On Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada declared the right to strike to be fundamental and protected by the Canadian Constitution. This decision followed on the heels of a January 16 court ruling that said the RCMP and other Canadian workers have the right to unionize to protect their interests.

Friday's ruling came in a Saskatchewan case in which public-sector unions challenged a 2008 provincial law passed by Premier Brad Wall’s Saskatchewan Party that limited the right to strike by workers deemed by the government to be in essential services, such as jail guards. In the federal jurisdiction, 94% of contract disputes are settled without a work stoppage, according to the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). “Strikes are always the last resort, never the first resort, in collective bargaining, and the number one objective is always to reach an agreement,” said said CLC president Hassan Yussuff. "Today’s decision levels the playing field for workers by placing checks on the power of governments, as employers, to legislate unfair essential services arrangements that tip the scales in management’s favour,” 

In Nova Scotia, Bills 30 and 37 passed by the McNeil government have been challenged in the Nova Scotia Supreme Court by the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour (NSFL) and several unions. “We sincerely hope the Nova Scotia Government does the right thing and revokes these bills, but if not, that case will proceed to determine if the infringement on the right to strike in those Bills can meet the stringent requirements applied by the Supreme Court of Canada today, “ said Rick Clarke, president of the NSFL. 

This year Canada will be heading to the polls to elect our next Federal Government. The federal election is scheduled to take place on Monday, October 19, 2015 however it could be called as early as this spring. The IBEW National Political Action Committee (NPAC) funded a video of the IBEW First District Staff explaining why they are voting in the 2015 federal election. Feel free to pass along the link to this video and have a look:  http://youtu.be/gLDKkPRfiv8

Let's start a conversation among IBEW members on social media across the country, and draw attention to the importance of every worker voting according to their best interest. 

Our current Federal Government has attacked workers’ rights through back-to-work legislation, removal of Health & Safety regulations hidden in omnibus budget bills, repealing of the Federal Fair Wage & Hours of Labour Act, and by directly attacking workers through legislation like Bill C-377 and Bill C-525. 

Brother Donald Lounds, former IBEW International Vice President (First District, i.e. Canada) died suddenly at Port Orange, Florida, on January 12, 2015, age 73. Brother Lounds spent his adult life in the IBEW, serving on his home Local's (Oshawa, Local 874) executive board for several terms, then as its Business Manager, before joining the First District staff in 1974 where he served in various capacities in Canada for nearly 25 years. Brother Lounds was appointed  VP for First District in 1997 and retired from that post in 2003. He is survived by three children and eight grandchildren. A funeral service for Brother Lounds will be held at the Oshawa Funeral Home on Wednesday January 21 at 11am.

In December of 2013, the Liberal government introduced Bill 15 during its first sitting in the provincial legislature. The February Holiday Act establishes the third Monday in February as a statutory provincial holiday by amending the Interpretation Act, the Labour Standards Code, the Retail Business Uniform Closing Day Act, and the Retail Business Designated Day Closing Act. However, because unionized employees are subject to  the Trade Union Act, even though the minimum standard for statutory holidays in the province has been thus amended, it is the responsibility unions and employers working under that Act to negotiate a change and amend Collective Agreements accordingly.

The following Local 1928 collective agreements have existing holiday articles that recognize any new statutory holidays that are legally declared by the government: Municipality of Shelburne, Town of Shelburne, Town of Lunenberg, Town of Lockeporte.

The following agreements do not have such language: Emera Utility Services (Transmission/Distribution and Communications contracts), Municipality of Queens, Town of Antigonish (Public Works and Electric Utility contracts), Black and MacDonald, Town of Berwick, Nova Scotia Power, and Nova Scotia Power Maritime Link. Of these, Town of Antigonish and Emera Utility Services have agreed to recognize and add the new holiday. Nova Scotia Power and the Municipality of Queens have agreed to recognize the holiday this coming February, but because those collective agreements are up for renewal, have reserved the right to negotiate for the years following 2015. Black and MacDonald (a contract also expiring in 2015) will grant employees the day day off this February if they chose, but employees will not be compensated. Nova Scotia Power Maritime Link has not responded to requests to clarify their position on the new February holiday, but currently there are no unionized employees working under that contract.

First District (IBEW International Canada) makes five $1,000-scholarships available to those Canadian IBEW members and their family members currently enrolled in full-or part-time studies, or who are currently in pursuit of a post- secondary diploma or degree. Scholarship applicants are required to submit a brief essay (the applicant must write the essay themselves), outlining the benefits of belonging to the IBEW. The scholarship winners are then selected by a random draw. Applications to the First District scholarships must be received by Friday, February 17th, 2017 and the random draw will be held on February 24th, 2017. Download the First District Scholarship Application.

* Note that applications for the IBEW Local 1928 scholarship will be available in March 2017, and the scholarships will be awarded in June of 2017. Stay tuned for more news as March approaches.