第115號法案 – 了解教師的觀點

人們的民主權利遭踐踏 他們可以做甚麼？

麥堅迪雖然宣佈辭任省長，安省教師仍然力爭推翻第115號法案。
很多人詢問有關教師和政府之間的爭執。有些學生家長對一些學校暫停課餘活動滿到不安。為甚麼教師要採取這樣的步驟？這是因為第115號法案不只是有關凍結薪金──它侵犯了教育工作者的基本民主權利。甚至加拿大公民自由協會也出來反對第115號法案，協會解釋說，關注到這個法案侵犯了加拿大人的基本公民權利。

這個法案賦予內閣而不是省議會有權(甚至在沒有人威脅罷工時)禁止罷工和停工。它給予教育廳長前所未有的無限權力，改變教育局和工會談判所定立的任何合同。教育工作者已入禀法院以違反加拿大人權憲章為理據，要推翻第115號法案。

多倫多教育局中學教師Jane Lee解釋學校正在發生甚麼事情時說：「我們當中一些人很沮喪，政府以第115號法案去除我們的民主權利，他們抵制一切，包括『會見教師之夜』。其他人，像我一樣，認為更重的是要和學生家長對話，向他們解釋第115號法案剝奪了我們的民主權利，因此，不參與服務課餘活動，是教師向政府表達不滿的唯一途徑。策略上我們沒有共識，但覺得我們需要做一些事情。」

當很多教授和法律專家警告第115號法案有可能違憲之時，為甚麼麥堅迪仍強推這個法案？它怎可能只是關於修復赤字──當安省實施系列企業減稅，就已經為本身設下了結構性赤字。安省在這方面減稅領先全國，胡達克的保守黨想要減得更多。現實是成千上萬的安省省民的民主權利已經被犠牲，以支付龐大的企業減稅。這也難怪學校成為他們遭受挫折的焦點。

民主權利遭踐踏 人民应该做甚麼？

麥堅迪雖然宣佈辭任省長，安省教師仍然力爭推翻第115號法案。

很多人詢問有關教師和政府之間的爭執。有些學生家長對一些學校暫停課餘活動滿到不满。為甚麼教師要採取這樣的步驟？這是因為第115號法案不仅是有關凍結薪金──它还侵犯了教育工作者的基本民主權利。甚至加拿大公民自由協會也出來反對第115號法案，解釋其对這個法案侵犯了加拿大人基本公民權利的关注。
這個法案賦予內閣而不是省議會有權禁止罷工和停工(甚至在任何人威脅罷工前)。它給予教育廳長前所未有的無限權力，可随意改變教育局和工會談判所定立的任何合同。教育工作者已入禀法院以違反加拿大人權憲章為理據，要推翻第115號法案。

多倫多教育局中學教師Jane Lee解釋學校正在發生的事情時說：「我們當中一些人很沮喪，政府以第115號法案解除我們的民主權利，他們抵制一切，包括『會見教師之夜』。其他人，像我一樣，認為更重的是要和學生家長對話，向他們解釋第115號法案剝奪了我們的民主權利，因此，不參與服務課餘活動，是教師向政府表達不滿的唯一途徑。策略上我們沒有共識，但覺得我們需要做一些事情。」

當很多专业人士和法律專家警告第115號法案有可能違憲之時，為甚麼麥堅迪仍強推這项法案？它不可能只是關於修復赤字──當安省實施系列企業減稅，就已經為本身設下了結構性赤字。安省在這方面減稅領先全國，胡達克的保守黨想要減得更多。現實是成千上萬的安省省民的民主權利被犠牲以支付龐大的企業減稅。這也難怪學校成為他們遭受挫折的焦點。

What Should People Do When Their Democratic Rights Are Being Trampled?

Although McGuinty has announced his resignation as Premier of Ontario, teachers are still upset with the recently passed Bill 115.

Many people are asking about the dispute between teachers and the government. Some parents are upset that after-school activities in some schools have been suspended. Why are teachers taking these steps? It is because Bill 115 is not just about freezing wages – it is a violation of the basic democratic rights of education workers. Even the Canadian Civil Liberties Association has come out in opposition against Bill 115, explaining its concerns that the bill is an infringement on Canadians’ fundamental civil rights.

It gives the Cabinet rather than the Legislature the power to remove strikes and lockouts (even before anyone threatened a strike). It gives the Minister of Education unlimited and unprecedented powers to change any contract negotiated between school boards and the unions. Education workers have now gone to court to strike down Bill 115 as a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Jane Lee, a high school teacher with the Toronto District School Board, explains what is happening in schools, “Some of us are so frustrated that the government has removed our democratic rights with Bill 115 that they have boycotted everything, including ‘Meet the Teachers’ night. Others, like myself, think it is more important to have conversations with parents and explain how the Bill has stripped away our democratic rights so the only way for teachers to express their frustration with the government is by withdrawing from extracurricular services. We don’t have a consensus on strategy, but feel we need to do something.”

Why is the McGuinty government pushing Bill 115 through when so many professionals and law experts are warning that this bill is unconstitutional? It can’t be just about fixing the deficit – the province had set itself up for a structural deficit when it implemented a series of corporate tax cuts. Ontario leads the country on these cuts, and the Hudak Conservatives want even more. The reality is that the democratic rights of thousands of Ontarians are being sacrificed to pay for massive corporate tax cuts. It’s no wonder that schools have become the focus of their frustration.