Ontario legislature debates education back-to-work legislation in early session

Members of Ontario’s legislature are up early today, debating a bill that would impose a contract on education workers and ban them from striking.

The Progressive Conservative government ordered the legislature back at 5 a.m. in order to speed up passage of Bill 28, the Keeping Students in Class Act.

In a letter dated Monday, the Ontario Liberals have requested the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly look into comments made by Education Minister Stephen Lecce as a breach of parliamentary privilege, citing Lecce’s presumed passage of the bill on multiple occasions after the bill was introduced. 

The legislation comes after the Canadian Union of Public Employees said its 55,000 education worker members would walk off the job Friday despite the legislation. It’s not clear if the walkout would last more than one day. 

CUPE has said they will explore every avenue to fight the bill, but the government said it intends to use the notwithstanding clause to keep the eventual law in force despite any constitutional challenges.

The clause allows the legislature to override portions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for a five-year term.

Ontario education workers vow to walk off job despite anti-strike legislation

Ontario MPPs gathered in an early-morning session to pass legislation aimed at preventing a strike by education workers. The Progressive Conservative government promises to use the notwithstanding clause to enforce the legislation.