Teachers Launch Court Challenge

Unions representing public school teachers in Ontario
have launched a court challenge of the Liberal government’s
legislation that imposes a contract and takes away their right to strike for two years.
The unions representing elementary and high school teachers and support staff say the legislation strips them of the right to bargain collectively, which they say is a violation of the Charter of rights.
Smokey Thomas of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union says they will do whatever it takes to make sure the legislation is repealed.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says she warned the government the
legislation was unconstitutional, and says taxpayers will be hit with a big bill when it is struck down by the courts.
But Education Minister Laurel Broten says the government is
confident the legislation will stand up to a constitutional
challenge because unions were allowed to negotiate deals before it passed the bill.
Unions representing teachers at Catholic and Francophone schools in Ontario did accept the government’s original offer, which still allows younger teachers to move up the salary grid but freeze salaries for the majority.
(Picture: Smokey Thomas)