Without fanfare, the bill on union transparency and governance was amended just before the holiday break. And the union federations see it as a step in the right direction.
This bill, introduced by Labour Minister Jean Boulet, has two main aspects: voluntary union dues and the publication of audited financial statements by unions. It is this latter aspect that has been amended.
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In its initial form, the bill required unions to have a review or audit of their financial statements, depending on the number of employees.
The unions argued that requiring unions with 50 or 70 members to have their financial statements audited by accounting firms would eat up almost all of their revenue. This risked either causing small unions to disappear or forcing them to raise union dues.
With the amendment that was adopted, the modulation will no longer be based on the number of employees, but on the income of the unions.
The presidents of the FTQ, CSN, and CSQ see this as a step in the right direction. However, they continue to vigorously protest the concept of optional union dues, which they view as interference in union activities.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
