Bill passed
Province forces contract through legislation.
Pictou Centre MLA Pat Dunn said his party did everything it could to stop Bill 75 from becoming law Tuesday, but in the end majority wins.
“There was not a single other avenue or strategy we could have used to prevent the outcome,” he said. “It ran through the process and we did everything we could through the process.”
As education critic for the Progressive Conservative Party, Dunn said change needs to happen now in schools and this can be done by talking to teachers on the front lines rather than forming a council that will look at the issues over the next two years.
“There are nine teachers on this council and they are suppose to be classroom teachers hand picked by top management. They will be paid each day they are out and their substitutes will be paid,” he said. “We know the problems and teachers know the solutions and it’s time for action sooner rather than later.”
Dunn said both opposition parties said they would repeal the bill if they were elected in the next election.
“I am disappointed,” he said. “I feel like no one could come to an agreement so it is agreement by force. The entire process is flawed. It was suppose to be free and collective bargaining and that didn’t happen.”
Dunn said he expects some teachers will go back to the way things used to be before work to rule started in early December while others will do less volunteering and some will not volunteer at all.