Bill 49: Strike Integrity and Worker Protection Act

Any Nova Scotia employer with a unionized workforce — whether in construction, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, or public services — would be directly affected during a labour dispute. Under this bill, a business owner could no longer bring in contractors, temp agency workers, managers, or volunteers to keep operations running while their unionized staff are on strike or locked out. Non-union employees who refuse to fill in for striking colleagues would also be protected from being fired, threatened, or disciplined. The rules apply equally to the provincial Crown and its employees, meaning public sector employers like government departments and agencies face the same restrictions as private businesses of any size.