Alberta Government Suppresses Democratic Rights
The United Conservative Party (UCP) government in Alberta has introduced legislation to illegalize a strike by 50,000 teachers, invoking Canada's "notwithstanding clause" to override democratic rights.
The Back to School Act, or Bill 2, was adopted after a brief debate and imposes a four-year contract on teachers that they had previously rejected.
The legislation invokes, for only the second time in Alberta history, Canada’s anti-democratic “notwithstanding clause.
- The law affects over 51,000 public school teachers and education workers.
- The strike, which was set to last three weeks, has been illegalized.
Author's summary: Alberta's UCP government overrides teachers' rights.