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UPDATE: Bill 115 To Be Repealed on January 23rd

Posted By: Katie Franzios · 1/21/2013 5:08:00 PM

The education minister has announced Bill 115 will be no more as of Wednesday.

The controversial teachers' contract legislation has led to one-day walk-outs in the province's public elementary schools in the weeks before it imposed deals on unions without ones.

Laurel Broten tells Newstalk 1010 the Putting Students First Act accomplished its goal to get collective agreements in place while addressing Ontario's deficit and isn't needed anymore.

Despite the Bill being repealed, all contracts are still in place.

Broten urged union heads to "return to stability in schools," pointing to the reinstatement of extracurricular activities.  By repealing the act, she says the province is addressing a key concern of both public elementary and high school teachers.  

The education minister was able to repeal Bill 115 while the legislature was prorogued because the legislation gave her the power to do so.

Meantime, the head of the province's high school teachers' union says repealing Bill 115 is a step in the right direction.

President of the Ontario Secondary School Teacher (OSSTF) Ken Coran says it alleviates some concerns and repairs some of the wrong-doings the Bill created.

But Coran says he's looking towards the future, which includes setting up a meeting with whoever wins the Liberal leadership race.

He says those with the most delegate support - Sandra Pupatello, Kathleen Wynne and Gerard Kennedy - are former education ministers, so he hopes there would be an open dialogue with them to resolve any issues as quickly as possible.

The province's public school teachers unions said they would be reviewing actions - such as not participating in extra curriculars - before March 1st.

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  1. Jack posted on 01/21/2013 04:19 PM
    The unions don't give a rat's ass about "goodwill for future labour negotiations." All they've ever cared about is taking all of the money for themselves and taking it right now, and whatever consequences there are from the province going bankrupt are none of their concern.

    That's the trouble with unions, their total disconnect from the consequences of their actions. If a union member screws up, the union will pile reps as high and wide as need be to make sure that member never faces the much-deserved consequences of their actions, and nobody learns a damn thing. They attack the public in pursuit of whatever lie they're telling in order to blackmail more money out of the province, and act surprised when action like Bill 115 is taken as a consequence, or when public opinion turns ferociously against them.

    Repealing Bill 115 is not the answer. Strengthening it, drafting more bills like it, putting further and further restrictions on union powers until they have completely lost their ability to hurt innocent people is the answer. Let's finally bring honesty and accountability back into the workplaces of Ontario.
  2. jon posted on 01/21/2013 06:00 PM
    Jack,,, that will never happen,,,,, its bad legislation and good its gone! You dont impose contracts, you negotiate!!
    1. Jack posted on 01/21/2013 06:43 PM
      @jon Negotiate? Tell that to the teachers, who have never negotiated a single contract since they unionized. Let me explain the difference:

      If you and I are negotiating, you open with a low number and I counter with a high number. You return with a slightly higher number, I counter with a slightly lower number, and we meet in the middle.

      When the teachers contracts are up, the province opens with a low number, and the teachers respond with a high number. The province returns with a slightly higher number, and the teachers grab the nearest child, hold a knife to his or her throat, and scream their original high number over and over until the province gives in.

      Hopefully you walk away from this with a better idea of the difference between negotiation, which is how adults reach agreements, and extortion, which is how the teachers and other public service unions drain the province of money we can't afford.
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  3. Brad posted on 01/21/2013 07:12 PM
    So, after implementing a bill which imposes contracts on people in defiance of precedent, Ontario labour law and which holds itself outside the power of the courts to interpret, the Ontario government is giving itself the power to cancel legislation, once again, "because they said so". This reads less like an attempt to save money, and more like an attempt to see how many abuses of power the public will put up with. Pick a popular cause, like saving money, pick an unpopular target, like fat-cat unions generations of Liberals created in the first place, and scream "won't somebody think of the children!". Then you have free reign. Tell the Unions what they will do, threaten fines if they attempt to serve their primary function. Nullify labour law. Nullify the courts. "close" parliament to cut off all discussion. Then when you have what you want, cancel legislation by whim. Don't use the public's representatives in parliament to repeal it. See just how far you can push your authority, because once the unions are brought to heel, individual people won't fight you either.
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