June 18, 2013
More on Bill C-377
Starting on Monday June 17th, the Canadian Senate will be debating Bill C-377. This Bill has been created by the Harper Government to amend the Income Tax Act (requirements for labour organizations) which requires that all unions publish senior officers' salaries and benefits, lists of assets and liabilities, loans receivable, time and money spent on organizing activities, members' pension payments over $5,000 and other data, under threat of $1,000-a day fines. All this information will used by special interest groups that want to rid Canada of Unions. Click here for more information on Bill C-377.
All members of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers are advised to write the senators in their province (see the end of this post) asking them to defeat the bill for some of the following reasons:
- Bill C-377 will be very costly for the government to set up and administer. The complexity of the database could make the gun registry database look like a bargain. At a time of government restraint, why would they impose a burden on the taxpayer to provide complex information that will only benefit special interest groups who don't want to see their employees vote in favour of having a union? I suspected less than 1% of the Canadian population will ever visit this site. It has been reported that the MP who sponsored this bill never had a union member in his office expressing any need for this bill.
- The Bill is discriminatory. It does not apply to similar professional organizations that require members to pay dues and as a result, receive a taxable benefit. Only unions are covered by this legislation.
- The Bill violates privacy laws - including the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and according to the MultiEmployer Benefit Council of Canada, almost certainly the Ontario Health Information Act, 2004.
- The Bill violates a basic legal principle of solicitor-client privilege.
To contact the senators in your province click here.