Unions challenge education hiring freezes before Quebec labour tribunal
On Monday, the Administrative Labour Tribunal is hearing arguments about Quebec's hiring freeze for staff who do not provide direct services to students.
Quebec imposed the hiring freeze in the public sector on Nov. 1 due to its tight financial situation.
The Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) and four of its federations believe that the hiring freeze for staff who do not provide direct services to students constitutes an obstacle to union activities, in that it prevents the implementation of clauses in collective agreements that were just negotiated.
Certain clauses in the collective agreements offer greater job stability and improved employment prospects for employees with precarious work status.
For example, they could have access to a regular contract after a certain period of time.
However, the merits of the case have yet to be heard.
The Attorney General filed a preliminary motion with the court, arguing that too much time has elapsed between the time the CSQ became aware of the Treasury Board's intention to impose a hiring freeze and its complaint of obstruction.
Such a complaint must be filed within 30 days, under the Labour Code.
During the hearings last March, the parties heard witnesses on the time limit, touching on the specific comments made, when they were made, by whom, to whom, and which job titles were to be affected, among other details.
Administrative Judge Michel Maranda will hear the lawyers' arguments on this matter on Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 16, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Globe and Mail
28 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
2 Top Dividend Stocks Yielding 5% or More to Buy Right Now for Passive Income
Key Points Realty Income is a high dividend payer with a long track record. Vici Properties is perhaps the safest way to bet on Las Vegas. 10 stocks we like better than Realty Income › Over time, dividends have become a smaller and smaller part of the stock market's total return, with the S&P 500 boasting an average yield of just 1.22% today, compared to 7.44% in 1950. That said, some companies still offer fat, consistently growing payouts, just like the good old days. Let's explore some reasons why Realty Income (NYSE: O) and Vici Properties (NYSE: VICI) could make fantastic long-term picks. Realty Income Corporation Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are a special type of investment that allows retail investors to benefit from the income generated from commercial real estate. But they aren't all the same. Realty Income stands out from the alternatives because of its track record of success, monthly payouts, and unique, risk-minimizing business model. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Since going public in 1994, Realty Income has increased its dividend for 30 consecutive years. The company funds the payout with the cash generated from its portfolio of 15,600 properties spread across North America and Europe. Realty Income's business model is relatively safe because of its use of triple-net leases, which mean the tenant is responsible for building-level operating costs like tax and insurance. It also tends to focus on recession-proof tenants like grocery stores, dollar stores, and auto repair shops, although many flashier clients like casinos and IT data centers have been sprinkled into the mix to help power growth. While macroeconomic threats like high interest rates have caused Realty Income's shares to underperform in recent years, they give investors an opportunity to buy the stock for cheap and lock in a relatively high yield of 5.55% at the time of writing, which is far above the market average. Vici Properties While Realty Income features a long track record and diversification into many different industries, Vici Properties offers more concentrated exposure. The company was formed in 2017 from the spinoff of real estate assets formerly owned by Caesars Entertainment Company during its bankruptcy restructuring. It has since evolved to become a leading entertainment-focused REIT, with 93 properties across North America. While entertainment is a consumer discretionary expenditure that may drop during economic downturns, Vici manages this risk with triple-net leases and high-quality tenants like Caesars and MGM Resorts, which have stable businesses and are deeply tied to their locations. The company has often relied on leaseback sales, which are when it buys an asset (such as a Casino) from a client who needs liquidity or to free up capital for elsewhere, only to rent it back to them, giving Vici access to stable, growing revenue. Vici also offers excellent growth potential as it expands into different asset types, such as golf courses, and potentially redevelops its 33 acres of undeveloped land located near the Las Vegas Strip. With a dividend yield of 5.15%, Vici is an excellent pick for investors who prioritize passive income. But don't overlook its stock price growth potential. Shares have risen around 60% over the last five years, with a 16% rally so far in 2025. The company probably won't stay this cheap for long. Which dividend stock is right for you? Realty Income and Vici Properties are both great picks for investors who prioritize sustainable passive income for the long term. If you could only pick one, the best choice will depend on your investment goals. Realty Income is better for investors who are willing to sacrifice a little growth potential for stability. But while Vici Properties doesn't have as long a track record, it offers more room for capital appreciation. Should you invest $1,000 in Realty Income right now? Before you buy stock in Realty Income, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Realty Income wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,041% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 28, 2025
CBC
29 minutes ago
- CBC
Peace activists lament unravelling of landmine pact named after Ottawa
Social Sharing Paul Hannon remembers being in Ottawa in 1997 when representatives from across the globe came to the city to sign an agreement banning the production and use of landmines. At the time, Hannon was volunteering for Mines Action Canada, a coalition of groups advocating against the use of mines in armed conflicts. "It was a pretty magical moment in December, the first week of December 1997, when 122 countries from around the world came here to sign the treaty," he told CBC News. But 28 years later, the agreement is being challenged. Ukraine and five other countries, some of which are members of NATO, have either moved to withdraw from the convention or have indicated they would do so, citing growing military threats from Russia. Hannon and others who pushed for the treaty are lamenting how its being undone. They're also arguing that Canada, the country that brokered it, should play a more active part in keeping countries from withdrawing. "Once they've gone through that process and they've left, then people are going to start thinking, 'Where are those countries that were calling for this treaty, where were the countries that were the big leaders?'" Hannon said. 'We were where the landmines got banned' Lloyd Axworthy, who served as foreign affairs minister from 1996 to 2000, was the driving force behind the treaty in 1997. He said the inspiration for the initiative came after he and his 11-year-old son visited an exhibit on landmines. "He said, 'Well, aren't you the foreign minister, dad?' I said, 'Yeah.' He said, 'Why can't you do something about it?'" he told CBC. The way Axworthy went about forging the treaty, by including civic groups that typically weren't included in such agreements, would also come to be known as the "Ottawa process." Alex Neve, a human rights lawyer and former secretary-general of Amnesty International Canada, said the treaty — and Ottawa by association — became widely known in international circles. "The degree to which other states have come to regularly call it the Ottawa Treaty or the Ottawa Convention — you hear both — is a real sign that the rest of the world recognizes Canada's leadership as well," Neve said. 'We're not playing that role anymore' Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on withdrawing from the convention, though it still needs parliamentary approval to take effect. The country's foreign affairs ministry said that Russia's use of anti-personnel mines "has created an asymmetric advantage for the aggressor." Neve said the move sets a bad precedent. "Anytime a nation shows the rest of the world that you can back away from your international obligations, you can retreat from your international obligations, it risks encouraging other governments to do the same thing," he said. Neve and Axworthy also said that Canada ought to engage more with countries to ensure they stay signed on to the convention. "We were one of the leaders in non-proliferation of weaponry," Axworthy said. "And we're not playing that role anymore." For Hannon, the crumbling of the treaty also stings on a local level, as it's something that everyone in Ottawa — and Canada — should be proud of. "Everybody thinks that the world knows about us because of hockey or Wayne Gretzky. And I would say now most of the world knows about us because we were where landmines got banned. That was a really significant thing," he said. "I would certainly like people to remember [the treaty] much more than this is the city where the convoy took over ... for two weeks. I think that's a much better memory to have and a much better claim to fame."
CBC
29 minutes ago
- CBC
Ontario Land Tribunal approves controversial Davis Tannery development in Kingston
The Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) has approved a controversial development in Kingston, Ont., that would see more than 1,500 homes built at what's currently a site contaminated by decades of industry. In 2022, city council voted against the Davis Tannery project — named after a business that once operated there — in a move that was celebrated by environmental groups, but promptly appealed by the developer, identified in multiple media reports as Jay Patry. In a statement released Monday, the city said the OLT had weighed in with a decision that "approves the development in its entirety, through amendments to both the Official Plan and the Zoning By-Law." Those amendments will be shared in a draft of the new official plan, which the city said will be released to the public in mid-August. "This development marks a major step forward for Kingston, bringing much needed housing to the urban core, and remediating the largest brownfield property in the city," read a statement attributed to Mayor Bryan Paterson. "I'm excited to see how this project will contribute to the renewal and revitalization of Kingston's Inner Harbour." Concerns about contamination The project proposes four phases which would see mid-rise, mixed-use commercial and residential buildings with 1,500-1,670 homes at the site sandwiched between River Street and Belle Park, according to the city. A minimum of 3,600 square metres of commercial space and a new park along the Cataraqui River are also outlined in the proposal. The project was opposed by organizations including No Clearcuts in Kingston (NCK), which was a party in the tribunal and argued against removing trees — including a 200-year-old oak — and releasing toxins trapped in the soil. A media release shared by the group Monday said it was "deeply disappointed" by the decision, adding it allows the "clearcutting of 2000 trees." "We are extremely upset and disheartened to learn that the desire of so many Kingstonians to preserve the Tannery urban forest has been thwarted by the Tribunal's decision," read a quote from NCK member Kathleen O'Hara. The group said it has concerns about "dangerous chemicals," including chromium in the ground and asked how the developer and various levels of government plan to coordinate a safe cleanup. "Will there be credible, independent monitoring of environmental impacts on a daily basis while the pre-construction clearcutting is underway?" asked Kerry Hill, who was identified in the release as a retired biologist. NCK also said its members will continue to monitor the project in order to minimize the environmental damage it could cause. In a 78-page document dated July 25, OLT vice-chair Steven Cooke wrote he "accepts and adopts the majority of the contested evidence" and expert opinions provided by the developer. "The Tribunal is persuaded by the evidence that the proposal promotes efficient development of land, accommodates a range of appropriate mixed uses, intensifies uses within the settlement area, and contributes to the range of housing options, and in particular, remediation of a brownfield as desired by the City," it reads. Cooke added that the OLT considered the points raised by those against the project, but "was not persuaded that the concerns they have raised are either sustainable given the evidence offered in support of the planned development, or otherwise bears relevance to the land use planning merits of the proposal." However, the tribunal did deny the developer's proposal to cap part of a wetland, with Cooke writing the provincial policy "clearly states that 'development and site alterations shall not be permitted.'"
