The Seafarers’ International Union of Canada (SIU) is sounding the alarm on Bill C-39, the so-called ‘Building Canada Strong Act’, introduced on September 21, 2026.
Despite its name, the bill would weaken the rights of Canadian workers, tip the scales further in favour of employers and open the door for foreign-flagged vessels to take work from Canadian seafarers in Canadian waters.
Bill C-39 creates a formal pathway for the federal government to shut down lawful strikes in federally regulated industries. Under this Bill, the Minister of Labour could direct the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to use Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to order workers back to work, extend an expired collective agreement or impose binding arbitration whenever the minister believes a strike or lockout is affecting, or may affect, the “national interest”.
The right to strike is supposed to be protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It was not handed to workers by governments or employers. It was fought for by generations of working people who understood that without the ability to withdraw their labour, workers have no meaningful power at the bargaining table. The government’s decision to double down on the use of 107 in this new bill is a clear attack on workers’ rights and is a slap in the face to all of the Unions, including the SIU Canada, who have been extremely vocal in our opposition to any infringements on the right to strike.
As a Union that represents seafarers, a critical component of the Canadian supply chain, stripping us of our right to strike tips the balance of power in our labour relations with the Companies that employ our members. The Government of Canada claims that these decisions are made to help stabilize labour relations in the country, however, it is clear that all this bill does is push us towards greater destabilization in unionized industries across the country.
In many ways, the point of a strike is to disrupt. Workers do not strike because they want to inconvenience the public or damage the economy. We strike because negotiations have broken down and withholding labour is the only power we have left. A strike that impacts no one is a strike with no leverage, no voice, and no ability to bring an employer back to the table. Workers should not be punished or stripped of their rights because they work in an industry which people rely on. The more heavily Canada relies on a group of workers, the more important it is that those workers be treated fairly and have the ability to negotiate freely. The government of Canada has now green-lit companies to take advantage of Canada’s most important workers. This cannot stand.
If employers know the government is likely to intervene once a strike becomes disruptive, they have less reason to negotiate. This is not going to lead to stable labour relations. It is government-backed leverage for employers that in no way benefits workers. If the government is seeking to improve labour relations, raise the standard for employers, not the barriers for workers. Strengthen the obligation to bargain in good faith, enforce the law and give the labour board the resources it needs to act.
Another component of Bill C-39 that threatens the livelihoods of seafarers is the weakening of Canada’s cabotage regime by the Government’s attempt to “reduce red tape”. Under this proposed bill, a foreign vessel could engage in coasting trade without obtaining a licence when responding to an emergency declared by the federal government or by a province or territory. The bill does not require the government to first establish that no suitable Canadian vessel is available.
SIU Canada participated in Transport Canada’s consultations and made our position unmistakably clear. We were joined by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and transportation unions from around the world who also submitted comments. We all made it clear that any attack on Canada’s cabotage regime is a direct attack on domestic seafarers.
Following the consultations, Transport Canada released a ‘What We Heard’ report, which acknowledges the concerns shared by the SIU and others that terms such as “emergency” could be interpreted broadly, that the exemption would ultimately weaken cabotage in Canada, and that Canada should instead be focusing on building domestic capacity, rather than relying on foreign vessels. Despite all of this being acknowledged by Transport Canada, the Government of Canada has chosen to move forward with this ill-conceived policy.
The Government of Canada’s decision to weaken Canada’s cabotage runs directly against the government’s stated goal of making Canada more self-reliant and self-sufficient in all aspects of our trade, including in our supply chains. Creating a new pathway for foreign vessels, manned by foreign seafarers, to operate in Canada does not achieve this goal and moves to weaken our supply chains.
“Bill C-39 poses the clearest and most significant threat to the rights of workers that Canada has seen in decades. To every Member of Parliament who has claimed to support workers, collective bargaining, Canadian seafarers and the SIU Canada membership: you cannot claim to stand with us and vote for this bill,” stated SIU Canada President Chris Given.
The entire Canadian labour movement will stand together against this attack. SIU Canada will use every avenue available to defend the right to strike, protect Canadian cabotage and fight for the livelihoods of Canadian seafarers and unionized labour across the country.
