October 2022
Parents of school-age children can now breathe a sigh of relief that Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce has announced legislation to force a contract on CUPE workers and end any strike action before it even begins. Read the room CUPE; now is not the time for a strike. Parents are tired of the school disruptions, not only because of COVID-19, but also from the almost-annual strikes and job-actions by school workers throughout the past decade. Additionally, those who have faced job-loss and financial ruin over the past 2 years don’t want to hear your whining about how “hard-done-by” you are. The teachers’ unions should also heed this advice as well.
In a related story, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has publicly and privately criticized Ontario Premier Doug Ford for his pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause in legislation intended to keep education workers from striking, calling it “wrong and inappropriate, and should only ever be used in the most exceptional of circumstances.”
Yeah, that’s great Justin, but seeing as you are currently facing a mandatory inquiry into your government’s questionable invocation of the federal Emergencies Act to end the “Freedom Convoy” protest earlier this year, you’re hardly one to criticize Ford. It’s like John Wayne Gacy criticizing Jeffrey Dahmer for killing all those people.
Additionally, Justin, unless you are willing to criticize Quebec Premier François Legault for his frequent invocation of the notwithstanding clause with regards to issues in Quebec, I suggest that you stay out of Ontario’s affairs.
Sources: https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/canadian-press-newsalert-ontario-to-legislate-education-workers-back-to-work?fbclid=IwAR26RpOzoe8A9LFF9pc5D5Zi7uZPz2DcDlBlPsQ4BM21hHloajHqHWwENQs, https://torontosun.com/news/provincial/trudeau-tells-ford-use-of-notwithstanding-clause-wrong-and-inappropriate-in-call, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Legault.
