It's time to bring Canada's labour practices into the 21st century. One way you can do this is by supporting C-257, a private members bill sponsored by Richard Nadeau, the MP from Gatineau, to change the Canada Labour Code and ban the use of replacement workers (scabs) during labour disputes. Proof that allowing the use of scab labour does more harm than good is easy to find. Quebec outlawed the use of replacement workers in 1977 and quickly realized a drop in the average days of work lost to labour disputes. British Columbia reformed its labour laws to end the use of scabs in 1993 and experienced a 50% drop in the amount of work time lost to strikes and lock-outs the following year. It is well documented that employers that hire scabs during strikes or lockouts are given an unfair advantage to drag their heels in bargaining, reaping profits from unpaid salaries (scabs are often paid less) and compromising any hope for a fair settlement. Given that only 3% of the collective bargaining that happens in Canada results in a strike of a lockout, employers who cleave to this outdated practice represent an extreme minority. Ask anyone who has been locked out of their job only to see strangers brought in to do the work and you will understand the damage scabs do to workplaces. Strikes and lockouts start sooner and last longer, disrupting the lives of everyone in the community. Bitter feelings between workers and management can provide the flashpoint for violence and injury on picket lines and can linger long after a dispute ends, impacting productivity. Labour disputes at Telus, Videotron and the Ekati diamond mine in Yellowknife stand out as examples of conflicts fuelled by the use of replacement workers allowed under the Canada Labour Code. As far as the danger scab labour injects into work stoppages, I suggest you recall the disputes at Lakeside Packers in Alberta last year, or at Seimans in Southwestern Ontario a few years earlier. In today's world, it is more important than ever to ensure our airports, telecommunication networks and border security work as best they can. Reducing the impact of labour disputes, in particular the disruption caused by the use of scabs, is a step in the right direction. As someone whose family lives in your constituency, I want you to support C-257. This means being there to vote for it and doing what you can to prevent any attempt to delay this timely reform.