Ontarians are reacting after Premier Doug Ford’s law that imposed a wage restraint on public sector workers was found to be unconstitutional by the province’s Appeal Court.
On Monday, the court struck down the law, known as Bill 124, in a 2-1 decision, citing that the law violated workers’ collective bargaining rights.
Bill 124 capped salary increases for unionized, public sector workers to one per cent a year for three years.
Ford’s government reportedly enacted the law in 2019 in an effort to eliminate a deficit and had argued the law did not infringe constitutional rights.
The bill resulted in widespread backlash from labour groups and opposition parties. Critics also said the bill heavily impacted the health sector and was partly responsible for driving nurses out of the profession.
Though the law was in effect for a three-year period, it has still been affecting collective bargaining because of the timing of when previous contracts expired and the length of some negotiations.
The premier’s office has yet to respond to the decision.
In a joint statement, CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions and SEIU Healthcare said the ruling is a win for all hardworking families.
“We urge Doug Ford to end his attacks on the very people we need to fix Ontario’s worsening health care system,” the letter reads. “Our message is simple: end all wage restraint schemes and let Bill 124 go,”
The two unions want the government to increase hospital budgets by at least five per cent beyond inflation in each of the next four years, to hire staff, and clear the surgical and diagnostic backlogs.
The Ontario Nurses Association is also celebrating the news.
“This sham of a bill should never have been passed. With the loss of the government’s appeal of an earlier ruling, it’s clear that Doug Ford should begin to listen to the real front-line nurses and health-care professionals providing care in this province,” Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) Provincial President Erin Ariss, RN, said in a statement.
Leader of the provincial NDP Marit Stiles also called today a victory,
“This win belongs to the workers, unions, and advocates from across the province who stood firm against the Conservatives’ unconstitutional attack on their rights,” she posted on X.
In a press conference Monday afternoon, Stiles called on Ford to, “respect the court’s decision. Drop this appeal,”
Ontario Liberal Party Bonnie Crombie says today’s decision is long overdue.
“Congratulations to the labour organizers who led the fight against Doug Ford’s illegal Bill 124. You will always have a strong partner in the @OntLiberal Party,” she said on X.
MPP for Toronto-St. Paul’s Dr. Jill Andrew said on X, “Ford, you’d better show em the money! Give these workers back their lost wages for starters!”
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner echoed the other parties’ sentiment and said “Ford’s unconstitutional Bill 124 has done so much damage,”
