Bill C-377

C_377

  • STATUS: TO BE REPEALED

Latest: CUPE Saskatchewan waves Bill C-377 out the door

 

Bill C-377, a Federal Private Members Bill, seeks to silence unions by imposing the most onerous reporting requirements faced by any organization in Canada – more than any other dues-paying membership organization, business, charity or even other governments.

Timeline of Bill C-377

Time of Event Description
12 December 2012 Bill C-377 passed the House of Commons with Conservative Party majority support
June 2013 The Conservative dominated Senate voted to amend the over-reaching Bill and send it back to the House of Commons for reconsideration.

Top five reasons Bill C-377 should be defeated

1. No other organization with dues paying members has to comply with these burdensome reporting requirements –only unions. If income tax deductions were the true reason for Bill C-377, why don’t they apply to other groups and corporations?

2. Canada’s top privacy watchdog –The Privacy Commissioner of Canada – warns it violates privacy rights. “I think this is a significant privacy intrusion, and it seems highly disproportionate” –Jennifer Stoddart (Globe & Mail, Dec 12, 2012).

3. The Canadian Bar Association warns it is deeply flawed and may violate the constitution. (CBA, Media Release, October 25, 2012).

4. It will cost taxpayers a lot of money – far more than what the Canada Revenue Agency or the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates. Estimates do not reflect the approximately 25,000 labour organizations that will be impacted.

5. Unions and union members elected to leadership positions are accountable to their fellow union members –not the Conservative government. Bill C-377 would force unions must file 25 separate, very detailed financial statements with the Canada Revenue Agency —the most onerous financial reporting requirements by any organization or government in Canada.

 

Learn more: Brief: Bill C-377