NBFL calls for worker-focused committee as provinces move to remove trade barriers

Given the recent announcement from the premiers of Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia announcement of an agreement to remove trade barriers between their provinces, the New Brunswick Federation of Labour (NBFL) is expressing concern about the impact this agreement could have on workers and calls for a voice at the table for those most affected.

Chris Watson, President of the New Brunswick Federation of Labour, says: “This is not about opposing trade or worker mobility. This is about ensuring that workers are protected as we move forward, no one is against building a strong economy, but we must work together to ensure workers’ protections remain in place.”

Removing trade barriers without strong protections for workers could lead to a race to the bottom. Workers could lose hard-won rights and benefits if provinces mutually agree to recognize each other’s standards and move to the lowest level of standards. We must ensure that moving between provinces doesn’t mean losing out on safety, pay, or working conditions.

The NBFL is also concerned that worker safety is potentially at risk because every province has different safety rules for good reasons. Workers could be harmed if we rush to accept each other’s rules without careful checks. Safety must always come first; we can’t let standards slip to make trade easier.

Another concern is that this agreement does not create any new jobs. It just moves workers around like checkers on a board, moving the same workers from place to place will not solve the problem of worker shortages. Watson says we need real solutions that create good jobs and train new workers, not just shuffle people around.

The NBFL is calling on his province to develop working committees that include: Workers and their unions, Indigenous communities and business representatives.

These committees must examine the possible unintended consequences of these changes and ensure that we get it right. Everyone deserves a seat at the table to ensure that any new agreement protects workers, respects Indigenous rights, and supports businesses and the jobs they create.

“We need a strong foundation of minimum standards, like those in the federal Canada Labour Code, so workers are protected wherever they go. These standards should be the starting point for any new agreement, not an afterthought with the mish-mash of provincial standards.”

“Let’s be clear, we want to work together to build a better economy, but it must not come at the cost of workers’ rights and safety, let’s ensure we get this right with everyone at the table,” says Watson.

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For information, please call:
Chris Watson, President
New Brunswick Federation of Labour
(506) 663-9123