After passing every government bill in a quarter-century, members of the Senate are now complaining of arm twisting..Blacklock’s Reporter said the Liberals on Friday pushed the final passage of a paid sick days bill through the Senate..“I certainly didn’t enter this chamber with the idea that I would be part of a rubber-stamping process,” said newly-appointed Sen. Jim Quinn (N.B.), former CEO of the Saint John Port Authority..“My first three weeks in the Senate has taught me some early lessons that maybe, in fact, we are going down that road..“For those who have been here much longer than I, it sounds like this has been a challenge for some time.”.Bill C-3 mandates 10 days’ paid sick leave in the federally-regulated private sector. Employees cannot bank sick days and companies may request a doctor’s note..Sen. Scott Tannas (Alta.) said legislators were pressed to pass the bill without completing committee study..“I won’t say there was intimidation but there was pressure, and a lot of it,” said Tannas..“This is a shame. It’s a shame we will not be able to do our full and complete duty.”.Sen. Terry Mercer (N.S.) said the Senate will only gain respect if it refuses to pass a cabinet bill. The Senate last defeated a government bill in 1996, a proposed liability shield for managers of Toronto’s Pearson International Airport..“We collectively as 105 senators need to find that moment and that piece of legislation that we will either leave on the Order Paper or defeat just to get the government’s attention, and not just the government’s attention, but the attention of all members of the House of Commons, that we should treat each other with respect,” said Mercer..“This is not respect.”.Bill C-3 provisions for 10 days’ paid sick leave annually are the most generous of any labour legislation. Current provincial laws range from one day per year in Prince Edward Island to two in Québec and five days’ paid leave in British Columbia, effective January 1..“That is the rightful place for a federal government to be, to show leadership, but at the same time to work with the provinces and territories to ensure we can do better,” said Sen. Hassan Yussuff (Ont.), former president of the Canadian Labour Congress..The Labour Code amendments “send a powerful signal to workers across this country that we need to build a stronger safety net for them,” said Yussuff..However, the labour department acknowledged most federally-regulated private sector workers like airline and railway employees already have more generous terms in collective agreements..And the department in a notice said it was uncertain when the bill would come into force.
After passing every government bill in a quarter-century, members of the Senate are now complaining of arm twisting..Blacklock’s Reporter said the Liberals on Friday pushed the final passage of a paid sick days bill through the Senate..“I certainly didn’t enter this chamber with the idea that I would be part of a rubber-stamping process,” said newly-appointed Sen. Jim Quinn (N.B.), former CEO of the Saint John Port Authority..“My first three weeks in the Senate has taught me some early lessons that maybe, in fact, we are going down that road..“For those who have been here much longer than I, it sounds like this has been a challenge for some time.”.Bill C-3 mandates 10 days’ paid sick leave in the federally-regulated private sector. Employees cannot bank sick days and companies may request a doctor’s note..Sen. Scott Tannas (Alta.) said legislators were pressed to pass the bill without completing committee study..“I won’t say there was intimidation but there was pressure, and a lot of it,” said Tannas..“This is a shame. It’s a shame we will not be able to do our full and complete duty.”.Sen. Terry Mercer (N.S.) said the Senate will only gain respect if it refuses to pass a cabinet bill. The Senate last defeated a government bill in 1996, a proposed liability shield for managers of Toronto’s Pearson International Airport..“We collectively as 105 senators need to find that moment and that piece of legislation that we will either leave on the Order Paper or defeat just to get the government’s attention, and not just the government’s attention, but the attention of all members of the House of Commons, that we should treat each other with respect,” said Mercer..“This is not respect.”.Bill C-3 provisions for 10 days’ paid sick leave annually are the most generous of any labour legislation. Current provincial laws range from one day per year in Prince Edward Island to two in Québec and five days’ paid leave in British Columbia, effective January 1..“That is the rightful place for a federal government to be, to show leadership, but at the same time to work with the provinces and territories to ensure we can do better,” said Sen. Hassan Yussuff (Ont.), former president of the Canadian Labour Congress..The Labour Code amendments “send a powerful signal to workers across this country that we need to build a stronger safety net for them,” said Yussuff..However, the labour department acknowledged most federally-regulated private sector workers like airline and railway employees already have more generous terms in collective agreements..And the department in a notice said it was uncertain when the bill would come into force.
