Hudak flip-flops on right-to-work

Ontario PC leader Tim Hudak announced this morning that he’s backing off his right-to-work policy.

The idea to make union membership and dues optional caused a public rift in the party. Some even feared it could cost them the next election.

Hudak said he spoke with employers and employees across the province. While he says some supported the policy, most didn’t.

“This right-to-work issue just doesn’t have the scope of power to fix the issues for the 100 per cent of manufacturing jobs threatened in Ontario. So if we’re elected we’re not going to do it.”

Premier Kathleen Wynne meanwhile says she doubts the sincerity of the PC leader’s announcement, adding his party has never supported organized labour.

“I don’t see this as a change of direction. I think that Tim Hudak has responded to an uproar in his caucus. What we know is that organized labour is not a priority for the Conservatives, it has not been for many, many years.”

Wynne says her party has an economic plan that is investing in people and business to create jobs for Ontarians.

NDP house leader Gilles Bisson is questioning the move, and says he could see Hudak re-visiting the policy should he get elected.

“It’s something they believe strongly in. If you listen to most of what they talk about, it’s about this kind of agenda that’s he’s going after. And I think once you’re branded a certain way, once you’re seen a certain way, once you’ve been a certain way all your life, pretty hard to change.”

Some said Hudak’s change of heart was a result of his recent byelection loss in Niagara Falls. He denies this.

As for labour reaction, the president of United Steelworkers local 1005 Rolf Gerstenberger calls Hudak’s announcement a cynical move to get elected.

“Definitely my view is that he’s hoping to get elected and then he’ll implement it again once he has his majority government and he can just do whatever he wants and it hasn’t changed a year, two years ago when he started issuing his white papers, on the paths to prosperity.”

He also criticized Hudak for wanting to cut wages to help the manufacturing industry. Gerstenberger says the union’s goal is to have a vibrant steel industry, but many powers beyond their control are impacting their ability to do so.