Ottawa, December 8, 2022 – The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada – a union representing over 70,000 federal and provincial public sector workers – has launched billboards in key locations to urge the Ford government to respect frontline workers and repeal Bill 124. Locations include Sylvia Jones’ riding – the Health Minister who has championed Bill 124 in the face of widespread public opposition and now, a court ruling that finds the law unconstitutional.
The billboards went up in response to the November 29 ruling by the Ontario Superior Court striking down the legislation. The Court found that the Ford government’s bill capping wage and benefit increases for registered nurses, nurse practitioners, healthcare professionals and other public-sector workers at 1% was a “substantial infringement” on the collective bargaining rights guaranteed under the Charter of Rights.
“This is a decisive judgment from the Court”, said Jennifer Carr, President of PIPSC. “It represents a historic victory for public sector workers and reinforces that our rights to free and fair collective bargaining cannot simply be legislated away by governments that don’t want to negotiate or give their burned out frontline staff respectable wages.”
PIPSC, along with other unions and the Ontario Federation of Labour that together represent hundreds of thousands of members impacted by the unconstitutional law, are ramping up pressure on the Ford government in hopes of preventing them from appealing this landmark ruling.
“For too long, Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Sylvia Jones have ignored the cries of overworked and underpaid healthcare professionals by bulldozing through Bill 124,” President Carr continued. “These billboards are a reminder that not only does the public stand behind frontline workers against this disrespectful, wage-slashing law – but now, so do the courts. Given the Court decision, the work frontline workers do to keep this province running, and the overwhelming support from Ontarians, the Ford government must forgo an appeal and repeal Bill 124. ”
PIPSC represents over 70,000 members across Canada. In Ontario, PIPSC represents hundreds of healthcare professionals working in cancer centres at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton, the Walker Family Cancer Centre in Niagara, the Windsor Regional Hospital and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. PIPSC also represents medical physicists throughout Ontario and IT professionals at the University of Ottawa that are impacted by Bill 124.
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For more information: Johanne Fillion, 613-883-4900 (mobile), jfillion@pipsc.ca