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Time for all Ontario political parties to end the prohibition on organizing
Toronto (12 June 2007) - The Supreme Court of Canada ruling that collective bargaining rights are protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is good news for part-time college workers in Ontario, says the organization that represents approximately 17,000 such workers across the province.
"What is protected is simply the right of employees to associate in a process of collective action to achieve workplace goals," says Roger Couvrette, president of the Organization of Part-time and Sessional Employees of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (OPSECAAT).
The campaign to organize part-timer college workers in Ontario has been led by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE).
"Ontario's Colleges Collective Bargaining Act, and the related legislation that denies part-time college workers the right to bargain collectively, is clearly in violation of the Charter," Couvrette argues.
"If anything, the Ontario government's complete legal prohibition of any form of collective bargaining for our members is a more extreme violation of their Constitutional rights."
Appeal to all parties
In view of Supreme Court ruling, Couvrette is calling upon all political parties in Ontario to include a commitment to amend the act as part of their campaign platforms for the Ontario election that will is to be held this fall - on Oct. 10.
"The writing is on the wall in terms of the need to amend the legislation," Couvrette says.
"Our union should not be put to the expense and delay involved in litigating this clear violation of the Charter," he adds.
In November 2006, the International Labour Organization (ILO) called upon the Ontario government to move "rapidly" to amend the Act and give part-time college workers the right to bargain collectively, "as any other workers."
"The government ignored the ILO, but it can't ignore the Supreme Court of Canada," Couvrette adds. NUPGE
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