Ontario college staff land retroactive Bill 124 pay after legislation struck down
Global News
Support staff at Ontario colleges are the latest group of workers to receive retroactive pay after Bill 124 was struck down at the end of 2022.
Support workers at colleges in Ontario are the latest group to land extra pay after Bill 124 was struck down by a court.
Around 9,000 support staff represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) negotiated a pay increase of 9.5 per cent, backdated over three years, the union said.
The law was introduced by the Ford government to cap public sector wages at one per cent per year over a three-year period. It was struck down as unconstitutional by an Ontario court at the end of 2022, a decision the province is appealing.
An agreement between OPSEU and the College Employer Council (CEC) means support workers will receive three per cent for two years 3.5 per cent. They were previously paid one per cent for each of those years under Bill 124.
“After a prolonged round of bargaining, I am happy to bring a deal to our membership that will help members who are struggling to make ends meet,” Christine Kelsey, bargaining team chair, said in a statement.
College support workers include administrative assistants, clerical staff and people working in admission offices.
“Support staff are the backbone of the college sector,” Graham Lloyd, CEO of CEC said after the agreement.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the Union on wage and benefit increases in recognition of their contributions to the higher education system.”
A recent ruling from the Quebec human rights tribunal has put Station10 hair salon at the centre of a larger legal battle and social debate.
The news comes a year and half after former health minister Adrian Dix announced the much-needed replacement, saying then it was long overdue.
Democrats are demanding Ambassador Bridge owner Matthew Moroun provide documentation of a reported meeting held with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick before Trump's threat.
From trade tensions to a shrinking workforce and existing inflation, several factors are leading to provinces posting sometimes record-breaking budgets.
The newly launched consumer rebates for electric vehicles aim to help make the purchase more affordable — but how does the cost of powering one compare with a gas vehicle?
The Kamloops institution operated between 1890 and 1969, when Ottawa took control from the Catholic Church and ran it as a day school until it closed in 1978.
The first category that’s being added is for researchers and senior managers with Canadian work experience to help drive research in Canada.
A Quebec man who drowned his two children in October 2022, told a jury he has no memory of the day they died, as he testified in his own defence in Laval, Quebec.
The Ford government has broken ground on four stations and an elevated guideway for its signature Ontario Line subway, which could be finished sometime in the early 2030s.
A small black dog that was kicked in a 'disturbing and upsetting' viral video has been removed from the owner’s care, Sudbury police say.
“I am honoured to welcome Matt Jeneroux to our caucus as the newest member of Canada’s new government,” Carney said in a social media post.
It raises the base income tax rate by 0.54 per cent — the first increase in 26 years — while the deficit is predicted to soar to a record $13.3 billion next fiscal year.
While in B.C., the prime minister will attend a Liberal Party fundraiser at a private residence in Vancouver, with tickets costing $1,775.