Wednesday, February 08, 2023
As members know, AMAPCEO, along with 39 other unions, is preparing to fight the provincial government’s appeal of the Superior Court’s decision to strike down the unconstitutional wage-restraining legislation Bill 124.
Parallel to our legal preparations, last week AMAPCEO formally requested a meeting with the Ontario Public Service (OPS) Employer to begin the process of implementing the remedy clause the union negotiated in recently completed OPS bargaining.
“The government’s plans to appeal the Court’s decision will make the remedy process complex for sure,” AMAPCEO President Dave Bulmer said. “Nevertheless, we are in this for the long haul, and we will do all we can to get our members the justice they deserve.”
Last week, an independent arbitrator determined that Ontario air ambulance paramedics were owed back pay following the Court’s decision to strike down Bill 124. Arbitration is a process available only to bargaining units who are deemed essential and do not have the enshrined right to strike, unlike AMAPCEO members in the OPS. Only AMAPCEO members in Public Health Ontario and Waypoint are entitled to arbitration, should their agreements be impacted by Bill 124. Notably, neither unit has come to the bargaining table yet.
While the circumstances are not directly comparable, the union believes this decision further strengthens AMAPCEO’s position that, with the law struck down, all public servants are entitled to remedy.
AMAPCEO has several bargaining units either at the table or embarking on discussions very soon, including:
- Financial Services Regulatory Authority
- Invest Ontario
- Ontario Arts Council
- Ombudsman – Children and Youth Unit
- Ombudsman – French Language Services Unit
- Public Health Ontario
- Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care
- College of Midwives of Ontario
Given that some of these units’ agreements are closer to completion than others, we urge members whose units are currently engaged in negotiations to contact their bargaining team if they have questions about how Bill 124 is impacting their negotiations.
Though the situation regarding Bill 124 is quite complex, AMAPCEO will as always continue to keep all members updated on their respective unit’s progress.