Description: Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister plans to meet with public sector unions after suggesting current collective agreements are unsustainable.

Source: CBC

Date: 11/28/2016

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/something-s-got-to-give-pallister-puts-reopening-collective-agreements-on-the-table-1.3871831

Related Links:

• Winnipeg Sun story
• Winnipeg Free Press story
• Canadian Press story
• Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union
• MGEU contracts
• Premier Pallister

Questions for discussion:

• What reason does Premier Pallister give for wanting to meet with the unions?
• What has been the response from the unions and the Opposition?
• Consult the Related Links above: what powers do governments have to reopen collective agreements?
• What sort of things do the courts look at when a government tries to rewrite collective agreements?
• Given what you’ve read about the Supreme Court ruling in the B.C. Teachers’ Federation case, what advice would you give Premier Pallister?