Targeted Consultations on Building Canada Strong – Powered by Canada’s Workers
Current status: Open
These consultations will run from July 3, 2026, to August 2, 2026, including roundtables with organizations invited by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and written submissions by any individual or organization in the federally regulated sector.
The Government of Canada launched a second round of consultations to gather views on a series of potential policy measures and/or legislative amendments to the Canada Labour Code. The feedback will inform the Government's approach to strengthening the federal labour relations and labour standards.
The first round of consultations ran from April 17, 2026, to May 25, 2026.
Who is the focus of this consultation
The Government of Canada is engaging with targeted stakeholders, including:
- unions and employee organizations linked to federally regulated sectors
- employers and employer associations linked to federally regulated sectors
- Indigenous partners and organizations
Key points for discussion
Second round of consultations Open
Invited participants are encouraged to share their views on measures being considered for possible amendments to Part I and Part III of the Canada Labour Code. Issues to be discussed include:
- guardrails on section 107
- expedited grievance arbitration
- bad faith bargaining
- length of strike or lockout mandate
- first collective agreements
- medical leave with pay
- wage theft and enforcement
- other potential changes to the Canada Labour Code that could help strengthen labour relations and supports for workers
The input gathered through this process will be published online in a "What We Heard" report.
First round of consultations Closed
Invited participants were encouraged to share their views on measures being considered to strengthen the collective bargaining framework, labour relations and supports for workers:
- revising the timelines for direct bargaining
- revising the conciliation and cooling off timelines
- revising the timeline for notice of strike or lockout
- creating a new special mediator role
- reviewing section 107 of the Canada Labour Code
- assessing examples of bargaining approaches from other jurisdictions
- introducing expedited grievance arbitration provisions
- exploring training supports for workers impacted by artificial intelligence and automation
- strengthening protections against misclassification and wage theft
- strengthening workplace health and safety protections, and working on labour mobility to harmonize training standards and regulations
- extending successor rights in cases of contract retendering
- sustaining the Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP) to ensure its integrity
- other potential changes to the Canada Labour Code that could help better support fair and safe outcomes for workers. Participants can also submit opinions and perspectives on other measures.
Consultation document for the first round of consultations
Consultation document for the second round of consultations
The deadline for written submissions to provide input on the issues outlined in the consultation document is August 2, 2026.
- See the consultation document for the second round of consultations before you participate
Related information
Contact us
Labour Program (Employment and Social Development Canada)
165 de l'Hôtel-de-Ville Street
Gatineau, Québec, J8X 3X2
Canada
Place du Portage, Phase II