A comprehensive summary and analysis of the Ontario government’s draft anti-labour legislation has been prepared for OCUFA by the legal team at Sack, Goldblatt, Mitchell. It focuses in particular on Schedule 2, titled Respecting Collective Bargaining Act (Public Sector), 2012.
According to the legal analysis, the proposed legislation as currently drafted “goes far beyond simply implementing a wage freeze for workers in the broader public sector; rather it would give the Government unprecedented control over collective bargaining, the right to strike, interest arbitration (in the case of essential services), and the content of every term and condition of every collective agreement.” If passed, the anti-labour legislation will profoundly affect every university faculty association in the province, certified or not. As the legal analysis concludes, “while purporting to respect collective bargaining (to quote the Orwellian pretense of its title), the Respecting Collective Bargaining Act (Public Sector), 2012 would actually eviscerate it.”
Over the next few weeks you will hear more about the various communication, education and mobilization initiatives OCUFA plans to undertake in response to this unprecedented attack on collective bargaining in the broader public sector. There will also be a special session of the October 27-28 OCUFA Board meeting to discuss a plan going forward.
The complete analysis can be access on the OCUFA website by registered users.
This article originally appeared in the OCUFA Report. To receive stories like this every week in your inbox, please subscribe.