Bank of Canada Defends Use of Replacement Workers Amid Legal Rulings

The Bank of Canada is defending its decision to employ replacement workers during a strike by security officers, according to reporting from CBC and CityNews Toronto. The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) issued two separate decisions stating the central bank contravened the Canada Labour Code. These rulings focused on the bank's use of contractors from Pinkerton Consulting & Investigations, as well as contractors from Garda Canada Security Corporation and the services of union members.

In a letter to Canadian Labour Congress president Bea Bruske, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem stated the bank has never refused to comply with CIRB orders. Macklem argued that the bank utilized replacement workers under exceptions intended to prevent threats to life, health, safety, or serious damage to property, noting acknowledged threats to assets, facilities, and people. He stated the bank has complied with previous rulings within prescribed timeframes.

The dispute follows a June strike by security officers after collective agreement negotiations failed. The Public Service Alliance of Canada reported that 42 members in Ottawa and seven members in Montreal have been on strike for four weeks after the bank locked out members in Montreal. The union has called for an end to the bank's use of replacement workers and a return to the bargaining table.

Bruske, in a letter addressed to Macklem, Secretary of State for Labour John Zerucelli, and Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu, described the bank's actions as a "repeated disregard" for board orders. She noted that legislation passed in 2024 banned federally regulated workplaces from using replacement workers during legal strikes, asserting that such non-compliance undermines the law and confidence in Canada's labour relations system, and that Parliament enacted those provisions to protect workers' constitutional right to strike.