State plans to appeal Bill 124 as it is overturned
Ontario public sector workers are celebrating today following the news that Bill 124 has been dismissed in Ontario courts.
A superior court judge said the bill violated Charter rights primarily based on denying the right to collective bargaining.
The bill has been controversial since it was enacted in 2019, especially throughout the pandemic, as it limited wage increases for overworked health workers, leading to formal legal challenges that began in September. It is
State governments are expected to appeal the court’s decision, which could result in a significant change in the bargaining power of unions representing public sector employees.
Judge Markus Koehnen filed an 80-page report Tuesday outlining his decisions, saying Bill 124 violates workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
In a statement from the Ontario Nurses Association (ONA), Interim Governor Bernie Robinson said the union never wavered in its belief that Bill 124 was unconstitutional.
“ONA and its members are celebrating the victory of this hard-fought battle that champions the rights of nurses and public sector workers statewide,” Robinson said.
“ONA’s position from the outset was that this bill would interfere with the Charter’s right of nurses and medical professionals to freely negotiate collective bargaining agreements. ”
The state bill, called the Safeguarding Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, states that increased pay for public sector employees reflects the state’s financial position and lends to a sustainable public sector over the long term. It was passed for good reason that there was a need to do so. Limit annual salary increases to 1%.
Critics say the price increases don’t even match inflation, citing the MPP price increase and the license plate sticker refunds announced this year as examples of the double standard.
In a separate statement, ONA said Ford and the Conservative government should cut losses with the decision and not allow the process to drag on further.
“ONA demands that the Ford government accept the court’s ruling and stop wasting tax dollars fighting workers in court,” the statement read.
“Nurses and public sector workers have waited long enough to demand fairness. It’s time to.”
Several other public sector unions statewide expressed their support for the court’s decision.
A spokesperson for the attorney general said the decision is being reviewed and the state intends to appeal.
State plans to appeal Bill 124 as it is overturned
Source link State plans to appeal Bill 124 as it is overturned
