Rt. Honourable Stephen Harper, MP, PC
Prime Minister of Canada

We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned about provisions in the omnibus budget Bill C-60 that allow for direct government involvement with negotiations between employees and their employers at 49 Crown corporations, including CBC, Canada Post and Via Rail.

The changes Bill C-60 makes to the Financial Administration Act go against the spirit of the Canada Labour Code to support productive relationships between unions and management “in the best interests of Canada in ensuring a just share of the fruits of progress to all…” They stand to take away a fundamental freedom of Canadian democracy: the right to free collective bargaining.

The government already exerts significant power over Crown Corporations, which are supposed to be at arm’s length, by appointing the presidents and board members.

The government intervention in Canada Post’s negotiations with employees in 2011 would become a permanent feature for all Crown Corporations. The new government powers would disrupt the relationships between Crown Corporations and their employees, which we believe will have negative consequences on Canadian society and the economy for years to come.

Furthermore, by participating directly in management decisions at CBC/Radio-Canada, the government could participate directly in discussions about news programming and assignments at the largest news organization in the country. This is a line that should not be crossed in a democratic country.

We believe this legislation will curb the rights of Canadian workers and employers to negotiate collectively for fair wages and working conditions.

We ask you to remove these unprecedented and unnecessary new powers over Crown Corporations from Bill C-60.

Signed: (Click here to add your name to the letter.)

– Darin Barney, Canada Research Chair in Technology and Citizenship, McGill University
– Dany Beaupré, Professor, School of Media, University of Quebec in Montreal
– Jody Berland, Professor, Department of Humanities, York University, editor of TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies
– Jamie Biggar, Executive Director, LeadNow.ca
– Denis Bolduc, General Secretary, Canadian Union of Public Employees (Québec)
– Sophie Boulay, Professor, Department of humanities and communication, University of Quebec in Trois-Rivières
– Daniel Boyer, General Secretary, Quebec Federation of Labour
– Marian Bredin, Associate Professor, Communication, Popular Culture  & Film, Brock University
– Colette Brin, Professor, Department of Information and Communication, Laval University, President, Canadian Communication Association
– Josette Brun, Associate Professor, Department of information and communication, Laval University
– Alain Caron, President, Provincial Communication Sector Council, CUPE
– Paul J. J. Cavalluzzo. O.Ont., LSM, constitutional and labour lawyer
– Benoît Celestino, National president, Syndicat des technicien(ne)s et artisan(e)s du réseau français de Radio-Canada (STARF)
– Debra M. Clarke, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Trent University
– James Compton, Associate Professor, Faculty of Information & Media Studies, University of Western Ontario
– Raymond Corriveau, Ph.D., Former President of the Quebec Press Council, Professor, Department of humanities and communication, University of Quebec in Trois-Rivières
– Natalie Coulter, Ph,D,, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University
– Gilles Coutlée, Professor, School of Media, University of Quebec in Montreal
– Michel Coutu, LLD, lawyer, Professor, School of Industrial Relations, University of Montreal
– Wendy Crewson, Actor
– Kathleen Cross, Assistant Professor, School of Communication, Simon Fraser University, National Coordinator, Global Media Monitoring Project and Chair, Media Democracy Project
– Christine Crowther, PhD Candidate, McGill University, Coordinator, Journalism Strategies Conference, Montreal
– Michael Curran, Ph.D. candidate, York University
– John Degen, Executive Director, Writers Union of Canada
– Shirley Douglas OC, Actor
– Ferne Downey, National President, ACTRA
– Isabelle Doyon, President, Syndicat des employé(e)s de bureau et professionnel(le)s de Radio-Canada (CUPE 675)
– Rebecca Draisey-Collishaw, Ph.D. Candidate (Ethnomusicology), Memorial University of Newfoundland
– Zoë Druick, Associate Professor, School of Communication, Simon Fraser University
– Judith Dubois, Professor, School of Media, University of Quebec in Montreal
– Michel Ducharme, President, FTQ Regional Council, Metropolitan Montreal
– Warren Edmonson, Past Chair, Canadian Industrial Relations Board
– Barbara M. Freeman, Adjunct Research Professor, School of Journalism and Communication, Carleton University
– Sarah Gadon, Actor
– Éric George, Professor, Department of communications, University of Quebec in Montreal, member of the board of the GRICIS Research Center
– Ken Georgetti, President, Canadian Labour Congress
– Bill Gillespie, Journalist
– Mirjam Gollmitzer, Ph.D. Candidate, School of Communication, Simon Fraser University
– Line Grenier, Associate Professor, Department of communication, University of Montreal
– Judy Haiven, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Management, Saint Mary’s University
– Larry Haiven, PhD, Professor, Sobey School of Business, Academic Director, Co-operative Management Education Programs, Saint Mary’s University, Past President, Canadian Industrial Relations Association
– Bob Hanke, Contract Faculty, York University
– Denis Harrisson, Professor, Department of Organization and Human Resources, School of Management, University of Quebec in Montreal
– Aldona Jaworska, Master’s Student, Culture and Society, Faculty of Arts, University of Calgary
– Dr. Sandra Jeppesen, Assistant Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies, Media Studies, Lakehead University
– Peter Keleghan, Actor
– Stephen Kimber, Professor of Journalism, University of King’s College, Halifax
– Kirsten Kozolanka, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Journalism and Communication, Carleton University
– Martin L’Abbé, Director and Professor, School of Media, University of Quebec in Montreal
– Sylvain Lafrance, Associate Professor, School of Business, University of Montreal
– Elisabeth Le, Ph.D., Professor, Modern Languages & Cultural Studies, Adjunct Professor, Anthropology, University of Alberta
– Denis Lemelin, National President, Canadian Union of Postal Workers
– Alex Levasseur, President, Syndicat des communications de Radio-Canada (FNC-CSN)
– Meredith Levine, Lecturer, Graduate Journalism Program, Western University
– Iain Macpherson, Assistant Professor, Professional Communication, MacEwan University
– Isabelle Mahy, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Social and Public Communication, University of Quebec in Montreal
– Dr. Patricia Mazepa, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, York University
– Daniel McCafferty, Assistant Professor, Department of Art and Art History, Wayne State University
– Mary C. Milliken, Ph.D. Candidate, Sociology, University of New Brunswick
– Ian Morrison, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting
– Garry Neil, Executive Director, Council of Canadians
– Manon Niquette, Ph.D., Professor, Department of information and communication, Laval University
– Martin O’Hanlon, Director, CWA Canada
– Daniel Paré, Associate Professor in communication, University of Ottawa
– Jean-Claude Parrot, National President, Postal Workers Union (1977-1992)
– Marcelina Piotrowski, Ph.D. Student, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia
– Diane Poitras, Professor, School of Media, University of Quebec in Montreal
– Stuart R. Poyntz, Ph.D., President, Association for Research in Cultures of Young People (ARCYP), Assistant Professor, School of Communication, Simon Fraser University
– Serge Proulx, Professor, School of Media, University of Quebec in Montreal
– Yanick Proulx, President, Quebec Federation of Labour Regional Council, Bas-St-Laurent, Gaspésie, Îles de la Madeleine
– Leslie Regan Shade, Associate Professor, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto
– Margot Ricard, Professor, School of Media, University of Quebec in Montreal
– Amra Ridjanovic, Lecturer in communication, Laval University
– Pierre Roger, President, Fédération nationale des communications (CSN)
– Dr. Phil Rose, Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University
– Jean-Hugues Roy, Professor, School of Media, University of Quebec in Montreal
– Dr. Philip Savage, Department of Communication Studies and Multimedia, McMaster University
– Leslie A. Schous, National President, CPAA-ACMPA
– David Skinner, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, York University
– George C.B. Smith, Fellow, School of Policy Studies, and Adjunct Professor of Industrial Relations, Queen’s University
– Carmel Smyth, National President, Canadian Media Guild
– Tyler Sommers, Coordinator, Democracy Watch
– Susan Swan, Author and a Former Chair of the Writers’ Union of Canada
– Diana Trusz, ReimagineCBC.ca
– Francisco F. Villanueva, LL.D., M.A., Professor, Department of Organization and Human Resources, School of marketing, University of Quebec in Montreal
– Sara Vissers, Ph.D., Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship, Department of Political Science, McGill University
– Dwayne Winseck, Professor, School of Journalism and Communication, Carleton University
– Lauren Zabel, Master’s Student in Communication, University of Calgary
– Michael Zryd, Associate Professor, Graduate program in Communication & Culture, York University