By Angela Gemmill
**UPDATE**
The private member’s bill was defeated by a vote of 28 nays to 16 ayes.
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France Gelinas will know by the end of the day if her private member’s bill -banning the use of replacement workers during a labour dispute- will head for third reading.
The Nickel Belt NDP MPP says she’s done extensive research on the topic since October 2009 when a similar bill was defeated at Queen’s Park.
She’s been asking other MPPs if they’ll support it and there just may be enough votes in favour.
Gelinas says if Bill 45 makes it past second reading today, first there will be a mini-victory party and then she’ll look at a strategy to make sure the legislation receives third reading before the end of this parliamentary session.
She says labour disputes tend to drag on longer when the company hires replacement workers…and these strikes effect the health of communities.
Gelinas says support has broadened way beyond the labour industry to people who care about the health of their communities (nurses, students, social workers, etc)
There are two rallies in support of her bill: one at Queen’s Park and the other downtown Sudbury in front of MPP Rick Bartolucci’s office.
