Supreme Court of Canada won’t hear dispute about Nova Scotia teacher contract

The Supreme Court of Canada will not delve into a dispute between Nova Scotia and its teachers union that stretches back several years.

The province’s Supreme Court ruled two years ago that a four-year contract imposed in a 2017 law, known as Bill 75, was significantly worse than a tentative agreement Nova Scotia Teachers Union members had earlier rejected.

The court said that at best, Bill 75 was an overzealous but misguided attempt at fiscal responsibility.

It concluded the law violated the Charter guarantee of freedom of association, which the Supreme Court of Canada has said protects the right to collective bargaining on fundamental workplace issues.

However, the court did not grant any additional remedy, prompting the teachers union to take its case to the provincial Court of Appeal.

The challenge was dismissed last year, and the union then asked the Supreme Court of Canada for a hearing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2024.