Thursday marks 10 years since the Supreme Court of Canada’s recognition of the constitutional right to strike in 2015.
“We did win the right to strike, which is a pillar in workers rights across Canada and around the world,” said Lori Johb, Saskatchewan Federation of Labour president.
The decision that the right to strike is protected by the Charter came down in 2015, after the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour challenged the Sask. Party government of then-premier Brad Wall.
Wall’s government had passed two pieces of legislation that restricted essential worker strikes and made it harder for unions to get certified.
“It’s a tremendous victory and it’s something that we need to be proud of and we need to celebrate. Although I think more than ever, we need to fight. We need to make sure that we retain that right,” said Johb.
While it was a great step for workers’ rights in the country, the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour says there is still a way to go.
“I think 10 years later, we’re seeing a lot of labor discontent,” said Johb.
Larry Hubich, was the former Saskatchewan Federation of Labour president from 2002 till 2018 and he says “these employer groups don’t like workers having the constitutional rights that they have as recognized by the Supreme Court of Canada, and they want that changed.”
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He adds that in his opinion, the government is working against workers and their rights.
Barbara Cape, president of SEIU West, was on the picket lines Thursday in Saskatoon and says that striking is no one’s first option.
“The right to strike is not something that any trade unionist takes willy-nilly. It is an action of last resort,” says Cape.
“Nobody wants a strike,” says Hubich.
However, “the fact remains that we are subject to the most regressive labour legislation in the country,” says Cape.
Johb and Cape add that workers need to stand together and fight for their rights.
“The right to strike is enshrined, and we respect that, but we also respect the services we provide. And there has to be a better way for us to take meaningful job action,” said Cape.
“We need to stand together and we need to push back collectively, because that’s the only way we’re going to win,” said Johb.
Hubich, Cape and Johb say the government and employers need to be proactive and cooperative when bargaining with unions and to remember that workers are an important part of our society.
In a statement to Global News, the Saskatchewan government said, “The Saskatchewan Employment Act includes provisions for when job action can take place. Our government always encourage collective agreements to be reached at the bargaining table but acknowledge the right of union members to strike is protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”