The Partnership to Defend Public Services (PDPS) will be seeking leave from the Supreme Court of Canada to hear an appeal of Government of Manitoba’s public sector wage-freeze legislation, announced Manitoba Federation of Labour President Kevin Rebeck on behalf of the PDPS.

“Over 120,000 public sector workers and their families are relying on Manitoba’s unions to have their backs when it comes to their right to collective bargaining,” said Rebeck. “When we launched our constitutional challenge to the Pallister government’s wage-freeze law, we knew it would not be a quick process. But we will always stick up for the rights of workers.”

In October, the Manitoba Court of Appeal overturned a ruling by the Court of Queen’s Bench that the Pallister government’s public sector wage-freeze law (Bill 28) was unconstitutional. Rebeck added that while it is up to the Supreme Court to decide whether to hear an appeal, the PDPS will be putting strong legal arguments forward on behalf of working families.

“We won round one and government won round two. Now we are asking the Supreme Court to consider round three,” said Rebeck. “Manitoba’s dedicated public sector workers have been there for us, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. They deserve to have their rights respected by government.”

Rebeck added that the PDPS has until mid-December to submit their leave application to the Supreme Court.