This past summer the Canadian delegation to the ILO gave its full support
 to that organization's Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at
 Work. The Declaration clearly and explicitly requires all member nations
 to "respect, promote and realize in good faith" core labour rights as
 human rights including "freedom of association and the effective
 recognition of the right to collective bargaining." 

 Over the years the ILO's Freedom of Association Committee has developed a
 jurisprudence which explicates the practical meaning of those rights. It
 has found several times in recent years that Canada has violated its
 international obligations to human rights in employment. Overriding
 collective bargaining by ordering workers on strike back to work and by
 legislatively specifying terms and conditions of employment is not a legal
 and legitimate activity by member nations of the ILO.

 According to the international consensus a violation against freedom of
 association and the right to bargain collectively is equivalent to racism,
 sexism, child exploitation and forced labour. At a time when Canada is
 putting itself forward as a champion of human rights elsewhere in the
 world this action is a gross act of hypocrisy. Please consider registering
 your indignation by writing to Prime Minister Jean Chretien. Fax:(613)
 941-6900 Email: pmo@pm.gc.ca.

 Roy J. Adams
 Steering Committee Chair, 
 Society for the Promotion of Human Rights in Employment
 http://www.mericleinc.com/Sphre/