Ontario's fight against education workers over walkout to continue at labour hearing
CBC
Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce won't be made to testify at a labour relations board hearing that will decide whether a walkout by education workers is illegal.
But the board's chair says assistant deputy minister Andrew Davis will be asked to give evidence.
It's the second day the Ontario Labour Relations Board is hearing testimony, following an application by the provincial government.
The province alleges the Canadian Union of Public Employees is engaging in an unlawful strike, while the union representing 55,000 education workers argues its job action is a "legitimate political protest."
CUPE sought to have both Lecce and Davis testify, but Board Chair Bryan O'Byrne says Lecce is granted immunity through parliamentary privilege.
O'Byrne says Davis, on the other hand, will be summoned because he may have "arguably relevant evidence" about contract negotiations between CUPE and the government.
Thousands of education workers hit picket lines across the province on Friday to voice their concerns over a bill passed Thursday by the Ford government that took away their right to strike and imposed a four-year contract.
The job action closed numerous schools and the union has said the protest could continue indefinitely.
The government's new law has set fines for violating the ban on strikes of up to $4,000 per employee per day — which could amount to $220 million for all 55,000 workers — and up to $500,000 per day for the union.
P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch is looking for 50 substitute bus drivers, and it'll be recruiting at three job fairs on Saturday, June 8. The job fairs are located at the Atlantic Superstore in Montague, Royalty Crossing in Charlottetown, and the bus parking lot of Three Oaks Senior High in Summerside. All three run from 9 a.m. until noon. Dave Gillis, the director of transportation and risk management for the Public Schools Branch, said the number of substitute drivers they're hiring isn't unusual. "We are always looking for more. Our drivers tend to have an older demographic," he said.