Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada: U.S.-style labour laws have no place in Canada

OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 22, 2026 /CNW/ -- Tucked into the massive Building Canada Strong Act is a provision that would hand the Minister of Labour a power even American presidents don't have: the ability to end a strike with a single signature. By rewriting section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, it would let one minister shut down a lawful strike or lockout, extend a collective agreement, or impose binding arbitration, all without a vote in Parliament. The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) is joining the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and unions from coast to coast to demand the government pull it from the Bill.

"This goes further than anything in U.S. labour law, and it tips the scales toward employers," said PIPSC President Sean O'Reilly. "When an employer knows the Minister can step in and end a strike, they have no reason to bargain seriously. That is not free collective bargaining, and it is not the Canadian way."

Changes to the Canada Labour Code should eliminate this power entirely, not create a new way to use it. Ending a strike should always require back-to-work legislation, which means MPs have to stand in the House and vote for it on the record. The new provision would make that vote disappear.

"It's designed so the government never has to own the decision," O'Reilly said. "Instead of standing in the House and voting to send people back to work, the Minister can just sign a letter. That's not accountability. That's a workaround."

The right to strike is a fundamental part of collective bargaining. It is what ensures both workers and employers have a real incentive to negotiate and reach a fair settlement. When governments can remove that right simply because a strike becomes inconvenient, the balance at the bargaining table disappears.

"Collective bargaining only works when both sides feel pressure to reach an agreement," said O'Reilly. "These provisions mean that employers wait for government intervention instead of putting a fair offer on the table. Workers would be expected to bargain with one hand tied behind their backs."

In 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the right to strike is protected under the Charter's guarantee of freedom of association, calling it an essential part of meaningful collective bargaining. Strikes are meant to create economic pressure; that pressure is what brings both sides to the table. The proposed change would let the Minister end a strike at exactly the point it begins to work.

"Workers across Canada are sending the government a clear message: take these provisions out of the bill," said O'Reilly. "Canada should be strengthening workers' rights, not borrowing from the anti-union playbook we see south of the border. We are united, and we will defend free and fair collective bargaining."

PIPSC is a Canadian union representing over 80,000 public-sector professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government. Follow us on Facebook, on Bluesky and on Instagram.

SOURCE Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC)

For more information: PIPSC Media Relations, [email protected]