Unprecedented Government Attack on Ontario Teachers
The provincial government has appointed former Justice James Farley to spearhead the implementation of its agenda of forcing concessions from teachers in their upcoming contract negotiations. The current collective agreements between teachers and school boards across the province expire on August 31.
James Farley is Senior Counsel with McCarthy Tétrault, a law firm that specializes in providing legal advice to corporate clients in bankruptcy and restructuring cases. Before joining McCarthy Tétrault in 2006, James Farley was an Ontario Superior Court Justice. It was Justice Farley who presided over the Stelco bankruptcy proceedings which, amongst other things, were used to try and force Local 1005 USW in Hamilton to open its contract and make concessions to Stelco.
Local 1005 refused to make concessions and fought to expose what Stelco was up to. Stelco was far from broke — steel prices were up and its order books were full throughout the bankruptcy restructuring. Yet Steclo’s suppliers, unsecured creditors and common shareholders were shafted. Secured creditors came out okay and a few hucksters made the big score. Because of Local 1005’s resistance to these schemes, Stelco’s CCAA bankruptcy protection was thoroughly exposed as a fraud and Justice Farley earned notoriety for his role in overseeing and giving his judicial seal of approval to the whole sordid affair.
The provincial government recruited this “expert” in “bankruptcy restructuring” to try and overwhelm teachers in these contract negotiations.
Read More: http://cpcml.ca/OPF2012/OPF02026.HTM#4
Montreal Teachers 4 Change.org 
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