School Board Collective Bargaining in the Shadow of Bill 124

  • October 28, 2019
  • Melanie McNaught, Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP

Before the ongoing round of collective bargaining between the Crown and bargaining agents for school boards and education workers, the Ontario government introduced legislation that would cap the compensation of public sector employees, including education workers.

Bill 124, entitled Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019, passed First Reading on June 5, 2019. Bill 124 is part of the government’s stated plan to address the debt burden and restore fiscal balance in the province. After introducing Bill 124, the Ontario government took a recess until October 28, 2019.

In the meantime, the government began central bargaining under the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act, 2014. The government reached a tentative deal with CUPE and the Council of Trustees Association on October 6, 2019 to avoid an imminent strike. Details of the tentative central agreement have not been released pending ratification.[1]