Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada are no friends of labor. It is therefore strange that the same government that has had no qualms about repressing strikes by postal and port workers is now signaling a willingness to support an anti-scab bill in Canada’s House of Commons. A new “confidence and supply” deal between the Liberals and the New Democratic Party (NDP), which will keep the Liberals in power until 2025 in exchange for support on key NDP priorities, contains a commitment to table a ban on scabs next year.

An anti-scab law would prohibit employers from using replacement workers to keep their workplaces operating during a strike or lockout. Replacement worker bans typically prevent employers from hiring new workers once collective bargaining begins. They also block employers from assigning employees from another part of their business to perform the work of striking union members.

What form a Liberal government anti-scab law might take remains an open question. Prior to last fall’s election, Trudeau and the Liberals vacillated on the issue. In 2009, while in the opposition, Trudeau voted in favor of the failed anti-scab legislation introduced by the sovereigntist Bloc Québécois (BQ). Since forming government in 2015, however, the Liberals have voted down NDP anti-scab bills.