Vancouver Sun: Labour strike is an economic weapon, not a political protest
Kevin Evans, Special to the Sun
Published: Monday, November 27, 2006
The British Columbia Supreme Court is expected to rule next month whether political strikes launched by the Health Employees’ Union and the B.C. Teachers’ Federation should be protected by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
At issue are the unions’ illegal walkouts in 2002 and 2003 (the so-called “Days of Protest”) and an order from the Labour Relations Board that union members return to work.
The unions claim they were engaged, not in a strike, but in a political protest that should be protected by the Charter as freedom of expression.
The effect of a court decision favouring the unions could well embolden other unionized employees to walk off the job to protest any number of political causes.
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