Lana Payne to Senate and House of Commons committees, “pump the brakes” on C-39

On Monday October 26, 2026, Unifor National President Lana Payne presented to both a Senate and a House of Commons committee studying Bill C-39. 

Payne’s testimony centered on the infringement on the right to strike included in the bill, and its predictable knock-on effect of curtailing collective bargaining itself. 

Bill C-39 introduces a new mechanism so that the Minister of Labour can unilaterally and immediately end a strike in federally regulated sectors, end negotiations, and send the contract to an arbitrator to decide.

This decision is based on if the Minister believes the strike affects Canada’s national interest. 

“The national interest test is so broad it is defined simply as having an "economic impact" or causing ‘serious social disruption’. All strikes have economic impacts. It’s the entire point of a strike,” said Payne. 

READ HERE: https://www.unifor.org/news/all-news/lana-payne-senate-and-house-commons-committees-pump-brakes-c-39