Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution

• Bill C-33, An Act to Amend the Railway Safety Act. UCTE has concerns about whistleblower protections and Ministerial delegations.
• UCTE is concerned about Private Members Bills affecting the operations and management of unions.

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution, Policies or Program

• Arming of the Coast Guard. UCTE supports some arming of the Coast Guard and the review of this policy area.
• UCTE is promoting the Restructuring of the Coast Guard which includes the creation of a separate statutory agency.

Policies or Program

• Coast Guard fleet renewal. UCTE represents coast guard workers. The fleet needs renewing. We are asking government to renew the fleet and participating in debates on this point.
• De-Staffing Lighthouses. UCTE opposes de-staffing of lighthouses.
• Strategic and Operating Review Process: UCTE will submit its views to government on how the review should affect Transport Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard.
• UCTE is concerned about cut-backs in the Parks Canada canal system.
• UCTE is concerned about the closure of Coast Guard Marine Rescue Sub-Centres

Policies or Program, Regulation

• Aircraft Services Privatization: UCTE is concerned that repairs and maintenace of government aircraft fleets will be privatized.
• Coast Guard fleet inspection services: UCTE is concerned that the Coast Guard will privatize fleet inspection services.
• UCTE is concerned about the transportation of dangerous goods, particularly oil and gas by rail cars and by marine tankers. UCTE is participating in discussions with Transport Canada and the Coast Guard on the transportation of dangerous goods and oil spill emergency response.
• employment classification structures for Technical Inspectors. These are union members. UCTE is obviously very interested in the employment classification structures for the members of its organization.
• railway and marine inspection services. UCTE is concerned that Transport Canada will implement Safety Management System regulations for railway and marine modes, in the same way that they implemented SMS for the Aviation mode.

Regulation

• Aeronautics Act Regulations UCTE represents Transportation inspectors working for the federal government. We track Aeronautics Act regulations and inform UCTE members of the changes being proposed. Sometimes we communicate with Transport Canada about these regulations.