Canadian Union of Public Employee reach an agreement with the Crown and the CTA regarding Bill 124

BY PAUL JUNOR

There have been political and economic fallouts from the PC-led government of Premier Ford’s decision to introduce and pass Bill 124 in 2019. Titled, “Protecting Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019,” the purpose of Bill 124 was to: ensure that increases in public sector compensation reflect the fiscal situation of the province, are consistent with the principles of responsible fiscal management, and protect the sustainability of public service. It established different three-year moderation periods for represented and non-represented employees. It limits salary increases to one percent for each 12-month period, as well as other incremental increases to that percent, although there were a few exceptions.

Since the passage of Bill 124, several public sector unions have launched legal challenges resulting in the Bill being struck down on June 20^th, 2023. It was reported that the Ford government will have to pay almost $ 1 billion in retroactive Bill 124 wages to health care workers. On Thursday, November 23^rd, it was reported that as part of a new deal with the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (EFTO) the government elementary teachers will receive two years of retroactive compensation, and the third year will be decided in arbitration.

It is over one year now since the Canadian Union of Public Education OSBCU-CSCSO walked off the job in an illegal strike. This action was precipitated by the passage of the Ford government anti-worker Bill 124, which stripped away the rights of education workers and mandated that any strikes would be illegal and consequently imposed a contract. The 55,000 members of the union were unanimous in their opposition to Bill 124.

Laura Walton, President of CUPE told reporters “There will be a strike tomorrow. The fines can come, and we will look after that.” Since then, the union has engaged in a protracted battle with the government to remedy the situation through legal channels. In the meantime, the union negotiated and received a flat raise increase.

On Monday, November 20^th, 2023, an exciting announcement was made on their Twitter page (@osbcucso). They tweeted, “After a very long day of meetings, we are pleased to share that we have reached an agreement with the crown and the CTA regarding remedy for Bill 124.” The tweet mentioned that more details about this agreement would be released in the future. It applauds the power of the union to work collaboratively on behalf of its members. “The ability of the OSBCU to reach this deal in a timely manner is directly related to the worker power that was built over the last year and continues today.”

The tweet describes some aspects of the agreement that are vital to its members. “Retroactive compensation increases will be: 0.75 % for 2019-20, 0.75 % for 2020-21, and amount between 1.5 % and 3.25 % for 2021-22, as determined by an arbitrator. In addition to retroactive payments, wage rates in the 2022 – 2026 collective agreements will be increased, and all wage increases will be pensionable. Premiums and allowances will also be adjusted. These increases are in addition to the 1 % that workers already received in the 2019-2022 collective agreements.”