HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwired - Dec. 14, 2015) - The president of CUPE Nova Scotia, Mike McNeil, says, "Today is a dark day for labour relations in our province and for tens of thousands of public employees and their Charter rights."

"With his proposed Public Service Sustainability Act, Premier McNeil has made it official: our province now occupies the basement when it comes to treatment of public sector workers and their right to free collective bargaining," says McNeil.

CUPE says the premier seems to be thumbing his nose at a recent Supreme Court of Canada ruling that upheld the right to unfettered collective bargaining, as being protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Says McNeil, "The working relationships that we've had with previous governments have always been respectful, and union members have also been respected by our provincial governments. That has just been shattered by this Liberal government."

CUPE Nova Scotia says it will be making its voice heard on this at Law Amendments and will certainly be mobilizing its more than 19,000 members in the province to fight this government and its disrespectful and draconian approach to labour relations.