The Ford government’s law which imposed a 1% salary increase each-year for three-years violated the collective bargaining rights of public sector workers and is unconstitutional.

A lower court struck it down first and has now been upheld, in a 2-1 decision, by the Court of Appeal.

 

 

When the government enacted the law in 2019, the Conservatives claimed it was a way to help eliminate a deficit.

The province argued the law did not infringe on constitutional rights, saying the chart only protects the process not the outcome of bargaining.

The Appeal Court wrote in its decision, ”Ontario has not been able to explain why wage restraint could not have been achieved through good faith bargaining.”

Whether it’s workers in education or health, their union leaders feel vindicated and hope the government takes the ruling as a lesson to never circumvent bargaining or trample on workers’ democratic rights again.