CUPE Saskatchewan is supporting new legislation to protect workers’ rights and wages. If passed, Bill 611 would ensure the use of the notwithstanding clause would be automatically tested to determine whether the law violates charter rights.
The bill follows Alberta’s decision to invoke the clause to end a teachers’ strike and force 51,000 teachers back to work – an unprecedented move that overrode their right to negotiate a fair contract.
CUPE Saskatchewan President Kent Peterson says workers in this province deserve the same protections.
“Provincial premiers should not be using the notwithstanding clause for partisan purposes to override workers’ rights,” said Peterson. “Scott Moe has said he’d be willing to do the same thing as Alberta, and that should concern every worker in Saskatchewan.”
Bill 611 – The Constitutional Questions (Notwithstanding Clause Referral) Amendment Act would allow courts to comment on whether invoking the notwithstanding clause is justified, adding transparency and protecting workers from unilateral government actions. The Manitoba government introduced similar legislation this fall, calling it a needed safeguard.
“This is about one thing – protecting workers and their wages,” concluded Peterson.
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