To All IBEW First District Local Unions

Posted on November 27, 2012 8:53 am

RE: Lobby Day Follow up on Private Members Bill C-377, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act

Greetings:

On Tuesday October 30, 2012 approximately 200 union members from across the country converged on Ottawa to participate in a Lobby Day surrounding Private Members Bill C-377 organized by the Canadian Labour Congress. The IBEW again played a large role in Lobby Day efforts with 32 members who were able to secure meetings in Ottawa with their MP’s in advance of October 30.

Currently Bill C-377 is being reviewed by the Federal Finance Committee which recently held two public hearings on the Bill. Both Finance meetings had a balance of representation from those in favour of the Bill such as Merit Open Shop Contractors, Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), & LabourWatch. Appearing against Private Members Bill C-377 was the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), Canadian Building Trades Office, and the Canadian Bar Association.

We have been making some strides within the Conservative caucus with our campaign against Bill C-377. While we seem to have made an impact on MP’s, there are still plenty of them that want this Bill to pass, therefore We must continue to keep the pressure on our MP’s right through until they vote after the Bill’s third reading.

The First District office is asking that ALL Local Unions make a laptop, computer, or tablet available with internet connection at all of your general monthly meetings, unit meetings, Executive Board meetings and encourage all of our members to take minutes to visit the Canadian Building Trades web portal at wwW.workersbuildcanada.ca and let the Finance Committee and their MP’s know that we do not support this costly, onerous, and discriminatory ' Private Members Bill.

When a member comes into your union hall it should be the ofñce’s first priority to ensure the member logs on and completes all four tasks in the web portal, which includes sending an email letter to your MP, an electronic fax to your MP, mail a letter to your MP, and invite friends via email to do the same.

I would also encourage you to engage any of your friendly local contractors, lawyers, accountants, benefit providers and educate them on Bill C-377 and the impacts it will have on their businesses. Then have them Write or contact their MP to express their concerns on Private Members Bill C-377.