Nova Scotia teachers formally file for court to end imposed labour contract

HALIFAX –The Nova Scotia Teachers Union has formally notified the province it is going to court to challenge a law that has imposed a labour agreement on its members.

The public sector union submitted its notice of application on Wednesday, saying it’s basing the challenge on sections of the constitution that guarantee freedom of association and freedom of expression.

The Liberal legislation imposed a contract in February that restricted wage increases to three per cent over four years and freezes a long-service award as of July 2015 for the 9,300 teachers.

The government has argued repeatedly that it needed to set a pattern of wage restraint to cope with the province’s high levels of debt.

The union says in a news release that the Liberals deliberately engaged in practices designed to erode the collective bargaining process, culminating in the creation of its Bill 75.

The province has responded that it negotiated three contracts with the union executive but all of them were voted down by the membership.