Ontario Pays $4.3 Million in Legal Fees After Bill 124 Defeat

The province incurred significant legal costs defending a wage-cap law deemed unconstitutional, now repealed.

Bill 124, introduced in 2019, limited salary increases for public sector workers to 1% annually over three years.
The law faced strong opposition from unions representing nurses, teachers, and public servants, who argued it was unconstitutional.
Ontario's Superior Court and the Appeal Court both ruled against the law, leading to its repeal by the provincial government.
Legal settlements with 10 unions and payments to an external law firm totaled $4.3 million in taxpayer money.
The government has also paid $6.7 billion for retroactive salary increases following the law's annulment.