The British Columbia Teachers' Federation, on behalf of all Members of the British Columbia
Teachers' Federation (respondent/plaintiff) v. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of
British Columbia (appellant/defendant) and The Coalition of British Columbia Businesses
(intervenor)
(CA41560; 2015 BCCA 184)
Indexed As: British Columbia Teachers' Federation v. British Columbia
British Columbia Court of Appeal
Bauman, C.J.B.C., Donald, Newbury, Saunders and Harris, JJ.A.
April 30, 2015.
Summary:
In 2002, the Province of British Columbia enacted legislation that voided hundreds of terms
of the teachers' collective agreement. The legislation also prohibited collective bargaining on issues
of class size and composition. The British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) challenged the
legislation as unconstitutional on the basis that it deprived them of collective bargaining rights,
thereby infringing their freedom to associate guaranteed under s. 2 of the Charter.
The British Columbia Supreme Court, in a decision reported at [2011] B.C.T.C. Uned. 469,
declared the legislation an unconstitutional interference with the teachers' rights under s. 2 of the
Charter. The court suspended the declaration of unconstitutionality for 12 months. The Province did
not appeal. After the 12-month suspension expired, the Province enacted the Education Improvement
Act. Section 8 continued the cancellation of the collective agreement terms and s. 24 temporarily
prohibited collective bargaining on class size and composition. The BCTF again challenged the
constitutionality of the legislation.
The British Columbia Supreme Court, in a decision reported at [2014] B.C.T.C. Uned. 121,
found that the legislation unjustifiably infringed the teachers' s. 2 Charter rights and included the
following terms: (1) ss. 8 and 24 of the Education Improvement Act were declared unconstitutional
and invalid from the date they came into force; and (2) the orders of the court dated January 14, 2013
and January 9, 2012 were varied to permit the plaintiff to distribute its unredacted written
submissions to its members. This decision was based on two main conclusions: (1) the Province’s
consultations with the BCTF before the legislation was enacted were irrelevant to its
constitutionality; and (2) the Province had, in any event, failed to consult in good faith. The Province
appealed.
The British Columbia Court of Appeal, Donald, J.A., dissenting, allowed the appeal. The
Province’s consultations were relevant to the constitutionality of the legislation. The Supreme
Court’s finding that the Province had failed to consult in good faith was based on errors of law and
palpable and overriding errors of fact. Between the consultations and the collective bargaining, the
teachers were afforded a meaningful process in which to advance their collective aspirations. The
legislation did not infringe s. 2(d) of the Charter.
Editor’s Note: there are several other cases involving these parties.
Civil Rights - Topic 2103
Freedom of association - General - Scope of right - See paragraphs 49 to 274.
Civil Rights - Topic 2144.1
Freedom of association - Limitations on - Collective bargaining and employer or employee
groups - See paragraphs 49 to 274.
Civil Rights - Topic 2201
Freedom of association - Denial of right of - General - See paragraphs 49 to 274.
Civil Rights - Topic 2204
Freedom of association - Denial of right of - What constitutes - See paragraphs 49 to 274.
Cases Noticed:
Health Services and Support - Facilities Subsector Bargaining Association et al. v. British
Columbia, [2007] 2 S.C.R. 391; 363 N.R. 226; 242 B.C.A.C. 1; 400 W.A.C. 1; 2007
SCC 27, appld. [para. 11].
Meredith et al. v. Canada (Attorney General) (2015), 466 N.R. 338; 2015 SCC 2, appld.
[para. 32].
Fraser et al. v. Ontario (Attorney General), [2011] 2 S.C.R. 3; 415 N.R. 200; 275 O.A.C.
205; 2011 SCC 20, consd. [para. 33].
Mounted Police Association of Ontario et al. v. Canada (Attorney General) (2015), 466 N.R.
199; 2015 SCC 1, consd. [para. 33].
Saskatchewan Federation of Labour v. Saskatchewan (2015), 467 N.R. 3; 451 Sask.R. 1; 628
W.A.C. 1; 2015 SCC 4, consd. [para. 33].
Hutterian Brethren of Wilson Colony et al. v. Alberta, [2009] 2 S.C.R. 567; 390 N.R. 202;
460 A.R. 1; 462 W.A.C. 1; 2009 SCC 37, refd to. [para. 54].
Association of Justice Counsel v. Canada (Attorney General) (2012), 295 O.A.C. 147; 117
O.R.(3d) 532; 2012 ONCA 530, leave to appeal denied (2013), 447 N.R. 391
(S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 62].
Blaikie v. Quebec (Attorney General) et al., [1981] 1 S.C.R. 312; 36 N.R. 120, refd to. [para.
120].
R. v. Arseneau (1977), 17 N.B.R.(2d) 292; 23 A.P.R. 292 (C.A.), affd. [1979] 2 S.C.R. 136;
26 N.R. 226; 25 N.B.R.(2d) 390; 51 A.P.R. 390, refd to. [para. 120].
Catholic Independent Schools Diocese of Prince George, Re, [2001] B.C.L.R.B.D. No. 112,
refd to. [para. 143].
Naramata Centre Society, Re, [2014] B.C.L.R.B.D. No. 157, refd to. [para. 143].
Noranda Metal Industries Ltd., Re, [1974] B.C.L.R.B.D. No. 149, refd to. [para. 145].
IKEA Canada Limited Partnership, Re, [2014] B.C.L.R.B.D. No. 155, refd to. [para. 145].
Labour Relations Board (N.S.) v. Canadian Union of Public Employees and Nova Scotia
Federation of Labour, [1983] 2 S.C.R. 311; 49 N.R. 107; 60 N.S.R.(2d) 369; 128
A.P.R. 369, refd to. [para. 145].
Insurance Corp. of British Columbia, Re, [2012] B.C.L.R.B.D. No. 143, refd to. [para. 148].
Housen v. Nikolaisen et al., [2002] 2 S.C.R. 235; 286 N.R. 1; 219 Sask.R. 1; 272 W.A.C.
1; 2002 SCC 33, refd to. [para. 176].
R. v. D.J.S., [2015] B.C.A.C. TBEd. AP.011; 2015 BCCA 111, refd to. [para. 176].
H.L. v. Canada (Attorney General) et al., [2005] 1 S.C.R. 401; 333 N.R. 1; 262 Sask.R. 1;
347 W.A.C. 1; 2005 SCC 25, refd to. [para. 188].
Canada (Procureur général) v. Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique, section locale 675,
2014 QCCA 1068, refd to. [para. 260].
Hislop et al. v. Canada (Attorney General), [2007] 1 S.C.R. 429; 358 N.R. 197; 222 O.A.C.
324; 2007 SCC 10, refd to. [para. 267].
Wells v. Newfoundland and Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities (Nfld.), [1999] 3
S.C.R. 199; 245 N.R. 275; 180 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 269; 548 A.P.R. 269, refd to. [para.
289].
Irwin Toy Ltd. v. Québec (Procureur général), [1989] 1 S.C.R. 927; 94 N.R. 167; 24 Q.A.C.
2, refd to. [para. 294].
Eldridge et al. v. British Columbia (Attorney General) et al., [1997] 3 S.C.R. 624; 218 N.R.
161; 96 B.C.A.C. 81; 155 W.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 302].
McKinney v. University of Guelph et al., [1990] 3 S.C.R. 229; 118 N.R. 1; 45 O.A.C. 1, refd
to. [para. 302].
Underwood v. Ocean City Realty Ltd. (1987), 12 B.C.L.R.(2d) 199 (C.A.), refd to. [para.
325].
Bedford et al. v. Canada (Attorney General), [2013] 3 S.C.R. 1101; 452 N.R. 1; 312 O.A.C.
53; 303 C.C.C.(3d) 146; 2013 SCC 72, refd to. [para. 326].
Carter et al. v. Canada (Attorney General) et al. (2015), 468 N.R. 1; [2015] B.C.A.C. TBEd.
FE.046; 2015 SCC 5, refd to. [para. 326].
Catholic Independent Schools Diocese of Prince George, Re, [2001] B.C.L.R.B.D. No. 112,
refd to. [para. 336].
Naramata Centre Society, Re, [2014] B.C.L.R.B.D. No. 157, refd to. [para. 336].
Noranda Metal Industries Ltd., Re, [1974] B.C.L.R.B.D. No. 149, refd to. [para. 336].
IKEA Canada Limited Partnership, Re, [2014] B.C.L.R.B.D. No. 155, refd to. [para. 336].
Insurance Corp. of British Columbia, Re, [2012] B.C.L.R.B.D. No. 143, refd to. [para. 336].
R. v. Oakes, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 103; 65 N.R. 87; 14 O.A.C. 335, refd to. [para. 346].
Cojocaru v. British Columbia Women's Hospital and Health Center et al., [2013] 2 S.C.R.
357; 445 N.R. 138; 336 B.C.A.C. 1; 574 W.A.C. 1; 2013 SCC 30, refd to. [para.
365].
Vriend et al. v. Alberta, [1998] 1 S.C.R. 493; 224 N.R. 1; 212 A.R. 237; 168 W.A.C. 237,
refd to. [para. 380].
M. v. H., [1999] 2 S.C.R. 3; 238 N.R. 179; 121 O.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 380].
Hislop et al. v. Canada (Attorney General), [2007] 1 S.C.R. 429; 358 N.R. 197; 222 O.A.C.
324; 2007 SCC 10, refd to. [para. 395].
PHS Community Services Society et al. v. Canada (Attorney General), [2011] 3 S.C.R. 134;
421 N.R. 1; 310 B.C.A.C. 1; 526 W.A.C. 1; 2011 SCC 44, refd to. [para. 398].
Statutes Noticed:
Education Improvement Act, S.B.C. 2012, c. 3, sect. 8., sect. 24 [para. 1 et seq.].
Authors and Works Noticed:
Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765), vol. 1, pp. 69, 70 [para. 269].
Fudge, Judy and Tucker, Eric, The Freedom to Strike in Canada: A Brief Legal History
(2009-2010), 15 C.L.E.L.J. 333, p. 333 [para. 291].
Hogg, Peter W., Constitutional Law of Canada (5th Ed. 2007) (looseleaf), para. 216 [para.
75].
Korbin, Judi, Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Public Service and Public Sector
(1993), vol. 2, F3, F5 [para. 88].
Verge, Pierre, L’affirmation constitutionnelle de la liberté d’association: une nouvelle vie
pour l’autonomie collective? (2010), 51 C. de D. 353, p. 366 [para. 137].
Counsel:
K. Horsman, Q.C., E. Ross and K. Evans, for the appellant;
J. Rogers, Q.C., S. Rogers, A. Merritt and D. MacDonald, for the respondent;
L. Wihak, for the intervenor.
This appeal was heard at Vancouver, B.C., on October 14-16, 2014, and written submissions
were received on January 26, February 6 and 11, 2015, by Bauman, C.J.B.C., Donald, Newbury,
Saunders and Harris, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. The judgment of the Court of
Appeal was delivered on April 30, 2015, and included the following opinions:
Bauman and Harris, JJ.A. (Newbury and Saunders, JJ.A., concurring) - see
paragraphs 1 to 274;
Donald, J.A., dissenting - see paragraphs 275 to 401.
Appeal allowed.
Editor: Anick Ouellette-Levesque