Navigating the Impact of Bill C-58: From the House of Common’s Corridors to Canada’s Trade Corridors

Spring has sprung and farmers are back in the fields; however, in the corridors of the House of Commons, the spotlight is now on Bill C-58

A proposal stirring heated debates, raising significant concerns across various sectors of the economy. This Bill could certainly have an impact on the agricultural sector. 

Bill C-58 has passed its second reading and is now at the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. This bill (C-58) further restricts when replacement workers can be used by federally regulated employers when there is a strike, which includes interprovincial sectors such as trucking, ports, air and rail transportation, grain elevators, and more.

 

 “Cattle need feed, meat needs to get to market, crops need fertilizer, and broken machinery needs replacement parts”

 

To date, we have seen that when major supply chain junctions, such as ports (British Columbia (BC) in 2023 and Montreal in 2020 and 2021) go on strike, it causes large and lasting impacts on the supply chain in Canada. For example, Maritime Magazine reported that it took 85 days to clear the backlogs and return to normal after the 2020 Port of Montreal strike. The Montreal strike was estimated to cost the Canadian economy between $40 to $100 million per week. Provinces that already have similar legislation in place, such as Quebec and BC, have experienced more strikes. Such policies seem to embolden unions to strike rather than stay at the negotiating table. Thus, there is the likelihood that if this is passed federally, Canada will see more frequent, and longer strikes. 

So, Bill C-58 could clearly have serious impacts, but what does this all mean for Agriculture? Farmers are not immune to supply chain issues. I’m sure you would agree, it’s quite the opposite. The supply chain can greatly impact the agricultural industry. 

Cattle need feed, meat needs to get to market, crops need fertilizer, and broken machinery needs replacement parts. It’s clear the movement of these inputs and goods is dependent on a well-oiled and operating Canadian transportation infrastructure. Extended delays as a result of strikes compromise these activities or, at the very least, make them costlier. Therefore, workplaces that impact our supply chain will always have the possibility of impacting the agriculture industry and with Bill C-58 potentially creating longer and more frequent strikes It will no doubt have negative impacts on Agri-small business operations and bottom line. 

This is why the CFIB has been calling on the government to ensure that employees who play a critical role in the supply chain are deemed essential workers. Simply because these workers are essential! In fact, when asked, 92% of The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) members who had an opinion believed that employees from federally regulated workplaces who play critical roles in the supply chain should be deemed as essential workers. Canadian farm and food producers, cannot have a port or rail strike impact their ability to produce and transport food. They help feed Canadians and the world.

The federal government needs to consider how Bill C-58 will impact the Canadian economy and make amendments, such as the proposed above, regarding essential workers. CFIB has sent in letters and shared this with Members of Parliament. Hopefully, changes will be made to Bill C-58 to protect Canada’s supply chain and to ensure small-medium enterprises are not impacted by long and frequent strikes.