The COFAM announced Tuesday that it has filed an application for judicial review in Quebec Superior Court, seeking to have the law declared unconstitutional and invalid from the date it was passed.
Earlier this year, Quebec tabled Bill 89, legislation that aims to ensure essential government services will still be provided in the event of labour conflicts. The legislation—An Act to Give Greater Consideration to the Needs of the Population in the Event of a Strike or a Lockout—aims to prevent disruptions that could negatively impact the population, particularly vulnerable individuals.
The legislation requires that a strike or lockout in progress will continue despite the Administrative Labour Tribunal’s decision to require the parties to maintain services, according to the legislation.
Barry Eidlin, vice-president of the Association of McGill Professors of the Faculty of Arts, warned that the law could allow the government to impose service requirements on universities during labour disputes, threatening academic independence.
Eidlin said the legislation is dangerous from a labour relations perspective because it “erodes the very foundation on which collective bargaining occurs in Quebec,” according to the CBC report. He explained that for bargaining to be meaningful, both parties must be on a level playing field, but Bill 89 would tip the balance in favour of employers by removing workers’ ability to collectively withhold their...
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