Today was major victory for the entire Labour Movement. After pressure from unions and the public the Ford government has agreed to repeal Bill 28 (Keeping Students in Class Act), a pre-emptive back-to-work legislation that included the notwithstanding clause and heavy fines for workers and their union if they were to strike.
This was a dramatic abuse of government power and undermined our rights as workers, which are enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Bill 28 would have taken away our right to bargain and impose a four-year contract on 55,000 education workers, including librarians, custodians and early childhood educators.
Make no mistake, this was an attack on all workers! PSAC stood in solidarity with education workers in this fight against government tyranny. By unions coming together we were able to stop this attack and protect the rights of all people in this province.
I want to thank our members for standing in solidarity with education workers and taking action to stop this attack and protect our right to fair collective bargaining.
In Solidarity,
Craig Reynolds,
PSAC Ontario Regional Executive Vice-President