2 CaP News

2025-03-17
Carney “Spend Less – Invest More”
Red Flags for the Public Service, Labour Groups, and Women
During the recent leadership process for the Liberal Party of Canada,
Mark Carney used the slogan “spend less – invest more.” Since his
appointment to Prime Minister he has repeated this policy asserPon.
The main stream media has failed to get an answer from Carney on
where he intends to make cuts. The without-seat Prime Minister is
elusive and evasive despite not yet earning his mandate through the
electorate.
ProtecPng Canada, a group raising millions as a third party is similarly
elusive and evasive, are running aRack style ads replete with omissions,
opposing Pierre Poilievre, the ConservaPve with-seat leader. The
company has deep Pes with Unions and Labour OrganizaPons – and
clearly is ignoring or are unaware that under Carney’s leadership at
Brookfield – union discouragement and union busPng was not
uncommon.
Red flags should be evident in the unionized public service and
members should be aware of who they are facing in the appointed/
anointed PM. The severity of anP-union acPviPes should be of great
concern to those involved in the labour movement.
Brookfield’s ownership of WesPnghouse Electric Company has been
marked by allegaPons of union-busPng (IBEW) acPviPes, more directly
at their plant in South Carolina. How far did management go?
They produced and distributed ant-union materials, including a video
(link below) Ptled “4 Reasons to Avoid the Union”, handed out leaflets,
including one with a drab email encouraging workers to withdraw union
authorizaPon cards, and went so far as to create an anP-union
crossword puzzle with a steak-and-lobster dinner raffle as an incenPve.
(copy aRached)
As the unionizaPon process conPnued the management set-up
mandatory “capPve audience” meePngs led by union-avoidance
consultants LiRler Mendelson—a firm known for anP-union work—
where employees were urged to vote “no” in a union elecPon.
The NaPonal Labor RelaPons Board (NLRB) USA has received mulPple
unfair labor pracPce charges against WesPnghouse, alleging coercive
statements, inPmidaPng rules, and acPons to suppress union support.
While some charges are sPll under invesPgaPon, WesPnghouse has
denied liability. Despite a majority of workers signing union
authorizaPon cards and pePPoning for voluntary recogniPon,
management rejected the request, with the plant manager explicitly
asking employees to “vote NO!” in a leRer.
CriPcs, like the Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP), argue this
contradicts Brookfield Renewable Partners’ 2023 Human Rights Policy,
which claims to respect “freedom of associaPon and collecPve
bargaining.” PESP contends that spending on consultants and anP-union
campaigns undermines these commitments, potenPally risking investor
trust and legal liabiliPes. Brookfield, however, has defended
WesPnghouse, staPng in February 2024 that it supports the company’s
efforts to ensure workers make “a fully informed decision” under
applicable laws—a stance PESP calls a weak jusPficaPon for what looks
like a deliberate anP-union push.
In 2022, Brookfield Asset Management, a part of the broader Brookfield
CorporaPon umbrella, acquired the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn &
Spa as part of a $3.8 billion deal to purchase the Watermark Lodging
Trust pormolio. This pormolio included 25 hotels across 14 states, with
the Sonoma property being one of them. The 226-room resort, situated
at 100 Boyes Blvd. Brookfield’s acquisiPon solidified its ownership,
while the hotel conPnues to operate under the Fairmont brand,
managed by Accor, a French hospitality company.
In 2023, the Brookfield-owned Fairmont hotel in California seRled a
charge at the NaPonal Labor RelaPons Board aber being accused of
taking coercive acPons to dissuade union acPvity. (see aRached).
Qualified Women management posiPons in non-tradiPonal fields also
took a hit under Carney’s leadership period at Brookfield.
Former senior development manager Kelly Dyball is suing Brookfield
ProperPes, a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management, and three of
its senior managers for allegedly dismissing her because she exercised
her right to return to work on a part-Pme basis aber having a child.
The woman involved in the suit was highlighted by Brookfield as a
poster example of the company’s support of women in the construcPon
industry. Dyball was Brookfield ProperPes’ development manager in
Western Australia. (see aRached)
The court case brought by Dyball is happening as Labor’s new serious
contravenPon laws come into place. These new laws increase the
maximum fines to $4.7 million for employers who knowingly or
recklessly breach workplace laws. (see aRached)
More recently Carney was asked quesPons about his assets and
potenPal conflicts of interest. Both reporters were women. The Prime
Minister was condescending, evasive, and misogynisPc – all while not
answering the quesPons. Examples from the Presser are stark; to CBC’s
Rosemary Barton he said, “Look inside yourself Rosemary…I mean you
come from a prior of conflict and ill will…”. To Stephanie Levitz of the
Globe and Mail he said, “…look Stephanie…as you know – cause I know
you know”.
Canadians don’t know Mark Carney and the new PM doesn’t appear to
be interested in changing that.