Bill 124 gets its day in court (again)
And strong mayor and Bill 98 regs
ABOVE THE FOLD
BILL 124 PRIMER — The Ford government squares off with unions in court today, for the next battle over wage-capping Bill 124.
They’ve been here before. Last fall, the controversial legislation was struck down by the courts as unconstitutional. The province appealed.
What the government is arguing: According to the court documents, the initial judge made “fundamental legal errors” the first time around and that the law does not infringe on the Charter-protected right to free collective bargaining, otherwise known as free association. They argue that the judge got mixed up with the right to strike, which unions did after the bill came into force.
What the unions are arguing: The appeal should be tossed out. The groups, which represent hundreds of thousands of public sector workers, say Bill 124 “completely skewed” and “severely undermined” the negotiations process.
Further complicating the matter: Many workers have already been awarded backpay after Bill 124 wa…