No news is good news for our corporate overlords

Last Wednesday, Bill C-257 passed in the House of Commons by a margin of 167 to 101. This legislation prohibits the use of SCABS (or for the fascist toadies among you, replacement workers) during labour disputes in federally regulated industries. The Canadian Labour Congress estimates about 1 in 10 Canadian workers will be subject to Bill C-257, including workers in transportation and telecommunications.

One would think that potential impact, let alone the passing of a stridently pro-labour bill in Stephen Harper's Canada would generate significant media coverage. Outside of the CLC website and discussions at Rabble.ca, this page has seen no mention of C-257 anywhere since it was passed last week. This page suspects that the more deluded among the fascists consider anti-scab legislation as a minor annoyance until the Conservatives can sweep to power with a majority government, a prospect that grows more remote by the day.

It could very well be that the media's self-imposed blackout has to do with the media, particularly CanWest Global's dominance of the daily newspaper market. This is the same cabal who had no problems with buying a tarnished Calgary Herald that used "e-scabs" to e-mail their work across picket lines. It's also the same gang that tried to break strikes at the Vancouver Sun and Victoria Times Colonist with "British Columbia" editions of the National Post. They may also be waiting until the bill approaches third reading to unleash the apocalyptic editorials about how C-257 will destroy competitiveness. Of course, the Canwest papers became less competitive once the Globe & Mail realized they could do a BC edition of their own....