WINNIPEG – Manitoba public-sector unions say they will file a court challenge against a proposed law from the provincial government that would freeze their wages.
The decision comes as the Progressive Conservative government is hoping to pass the bill into law, along with about two dozen others, on the last day of the spring legislature sitting today.
Premier Brian Pallister has said wage restraint is needed to help get the provincial deficit under control.
But the Manitoba Federation of Labour says wages should be negotiated at the bargaining table, not imposed by law, and the legal challenge will be filed very soon.
The bill, introduced in March, would freeze public-sector wages for two years as each collective agreement expires.
Other bills up for final debate today include measures to reduce the number of bargaining units in the health sector, raise the limit on political donations, and give broader powers to the provincial children's advocate.
