Transport committee  The rate of union density is declining all over the world because workers don't want to be unionized to the same degree as they used to. Look at Scandinavia: the rate at which young people in Denmark and Sweden are becoming union members is in a precipitous free-fall. The rate has gone from the eighties to the fifties, percentage wise.

Transport committee  I think we can find terrible tragic stories in a range of places. As someone who had national responsibilities with employers, one of the challenges we had was making sure that our employees followed the health and safety procedures we put in place for them. I oversaw the discipline of employees by our managers, where employees didn't follow the safety procedures that were there for them.

Transport committee  I do not have any specific studies on that point. What I do know from an acquaintance of mine who was recently over at the Local 183 hall is that 50% of the people there aren't working. A job is a great thing. There's something wrong when 50% of your people aren't working and there are jobs going wanting in the rest of this country.

Transport committee  I think the opportunity existed in the country in 2001 for the Supreme Court of Canada to show some leadership on this issue. The ruling in Regina v. Advance Cutting and Coring should have admonished the Quebec legislature, the judicial system, and the police for failing to enforce the Criminal Code and the rule of law.

Transport committee  They must have a chance to bid; and then there are criteria that are multi-faceted for the taxpayers' benefit, as we were discussing earlier.

Transport committee  This is in a section of an IBEW collective agreement in Ontario. Of every hour worked, $1.08 is put into the market recovery fund, and 60 cents per hour goes into the stabilization fund. Money goes into the sports, entertainment, and retiree fund; into the education fund; into the promotion fund.

Transport committee  I'm not following your logic in turning that into something discriminatory. I'll need you to explain that to me again more fully.

Transport committee  Well, I certainly know lots of union-free contractors who do apprenticeships in compliance with the law.

Transport committee  The idea that the Canada Line was built by people earning less than minimum wage is something that I, as a Vancouver resident, have not heard before, sir.

Transport committee  I met a couple of SELI workers from Latin America, who travelled all over the world for their employer, working on these highly sophisticated machines and projects to bore holes—very sophisticated, dangerous work. They were very skilled people. I have to admit that I would be shocked if the man I met was earning $3.50 an hour or $3.57.

Transport committee  We have more competition than we used to.

Transport committee  On the fact that my taxes pay the CBC, please don't get me started as a taxpayer.

Transport committee  It's one of the most egregious examples of what still goes on.

Transport committee  Without full competition, we don't have a race to excellence.

Transport committee  The decision-making should be multi-faceted in terms of looking at the talent level of the contractor, the track record, and reference checks. Get in your car, drive to their other job sites. Did that job end on time? Was it over time? Was it under budget, on budget, over budget?