#bill 28

[studentprotests]

Bill 28..

[theedfather]

Bit fired up about a political stance right now, which I know rarely goes well on the hell site - but I need to release it from my head - I don't get fired up on this often. Bear with me a second here, or just scroll on.

So, here in Canada - specifically Ontario, things are a bit on the fucked side lately. An attempt to trample the rights of teachers in the province is backfired greatly - trying to make it ILLEGAL for teachers to go on strike. The Bill originally passed. This would not stand. This had even those from Quebec marching over to join a general strike - and no one strikes like the French. The proposed Bill 28 was quickly repealed and changes are being made in the right direction. Doug Ford only succeeded at bringing unions together on a common cause, which strengthens the rights of Canadians as a whole.

'The government blinked': Union to end Ontario education walkout after Ford promises to repeal strike law | CBC News

Ontario schools are set to reopen Tuesday after a union representing some 55,000 education workers who walked off the job last Friday won a

Me being anti-union or anti-strike would be literally against my family tree, considering my great grandfather was involved in a strike back in 1925 when BESCO tried to fuck over the miners and their families, by trying to repeatedly cut their wages. This was no peaceful protest either. One miner died as they basically laid seige to the power plant, taking it back by force. The 'Company stores' were burned to the ground and never rebuilt. The Canadian Army was brought in to restore the peace. The miners won, and their union outlasted the company who tried to shut them down. BESCO collapsed in 1926. For more on this whole ordeal, this sums up the history well.

A hundred years later, companies and politicians are still trying to fuck around with workers - and at the end of the day, when workers unite - they find out it does not go well. Never hurts to give a good reminder of that. Today was that reminder in Canada.

[worklabournewsresearch]

Court Strikes Down Manitoba's 'Draconian' Wage Freeze Bill

“In a major decision, a Manitoba judge threw out controversial legislation Thursday that sought to freeze the wages of more than 100,000 public sector workers. Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench Justice Joan McKelvey ruled against Bill 28, the legislation that was trying to force a two-year wage freeze on public sector unions. ‘I have concluded that the (Public Services Sustainability Act) operates as a draconian measure that has inhibited and dramatically reduced the unions' bargaining power and violates associational rights,’ McKelvey wrote.”

“The legislation, introduced in 2017, mandated a two-year wage freeze for government employees once their existing contracts expired. The freeze was followed by a 0.75 per cent pay increase in the third year and one per cent in the fourth. The bill was never proclaimed in law and thus never in effect — but public-sector unions say government negotiators acted as though it was. The law would have applied retroactively if it was proclaimed … Unions argued the legislation hung over collective bargaining negotiations for years. Some employee groups, including the Manitoba Nurses Union, have been working without a contract for years.”

CBC News, June 11, 2020: “Court Strikes Down Manitoba's 'Draconian' Wage Freeze Bill,” by Ian Froese

United Steelworkers Union, June 16, 2020: “The Jury Is In: Unconstitutional Attacks on Workers’ Rights Must End”

Canadian Law of Work Forum, June 14, 2020: “Manitoba Court Strikes Down Wage Freeze Law: Here’s the Decision,” by David Doorey

Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench Decision (228 pages, PDF)

Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, Bill 28, Royal Assent June 2, 2017: The Public Services Sustainability Act

and in Ontario...

“Unions in Ontario are calling on the provincial government to make changes to Bill 124 after a Manitoba court deemed similar legislation as unconstitutional last week. Passed in November 2019, Ontario’s Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act of 2019 limits salary increases to one per cent per year during three-year moderation periods ‘to ensure that increases in public sector compensation reflect the fiscal situation of the province, are consistent with the principles of responsible fiscal management and protect the sustainability of public services.’”

“In March, a coalition of Ontario unions, coordinated by the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), filed a constitutional challenge to the bill, arguing that it violates collective bargaining rights enshrined in the freedom of association guarantee of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The coalition represented around 270,000 employees, according to OFL.”

Canadian HR Reporter, June 15, 2020: “Unions Want Ontario's Bill 124 Repealed After Manitoba Decision,” by Jim Wilson

Financial Post, June 12, 2020: “Victory in Manitoba Builds Opposition to Ford Conservative's Wage Restraint Legislation“

Unifor, June 12, 2020: “Court Victory in Manitoba Could Spell End for Ontario’s Bill 124″

Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Bill 124, Royal Assent November 7, 2019: Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019 (14 pages, PDF)

[worklabournewsresearch]

Judge Strikes Down Re-Enacted B.C. Legislation Curbing Teachers' Collective Bargaining Rights

"On January 27 [2014], a British Columbia judge ruled that Bill 22, the Education Improvement Act, a law limiting teacher collective bargaining on class size which re-enacted the provisions of Bill 28 – a statute that had previously been declared unconstitutional – likewise violated the guarantee of freedom of association in s.2(d) of the Charter. Concluding that there was no basis for distinguishing the new legislation from the old, the judge declared Bill 22 void, and ordered the government to pay the British Columbia Teachers' Federation $2 million in damages."

"Although the B.C. government has expressed its intention to appeal the ruling, the decision is likely to have some immediate impact because negotiations for a renewal collective agreement are currently underway between the [British Columbia Teachers' Federation] and the government."

Lancaster House, February 26, 2014: "Judge strikes down legislation re-enacted by B.C. government curbing teachers' collective bargaining rights, and awards teachers' union $2 million damages"

The Tyee, January 27, 2014: “BC court rules in favour of teachers' union on Bill 22,” by Katie Hyslop

The Globe and Mail, February 28, 2014: "On wages, B.C. teachers are pushing a tough sell," by Gary Mason