Final reading of bill to impose contract on teachers continues after all-nighter
CBC's Jean Laroche provides live updates as the bill is debated
Nova Scotia MLAs returned to the legislature for a third and final reading of the controversial Bill 75 starting at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.
Debate is expected to go well into the day as the House sits following the long weekend.
On Friday, teachers held a one-day strike and thousands held a protest outside Province House to oppose the bill. The bill will impose a contract on Nova Scotia Teachers Union members, who have rejected three tentative agreements in the past 15 months.
The president of the union has said teachers feel betrayed by Stephen McNeil's Liberal government.
"This bill takes away our right to a fair collective bargaining process and erodes our ability to advocate for much needed reforms in our classrooms," Liette Doucet said in a statement Monday.
McNeil said the purpose of the legislation is to end a work-to-rule campaign that the province's 9,300 teachers have been participating in since the first week of December.
MLAs were in the legislature almost around the clock last week debating the bill.
Teachers and supporters protested outside Province House between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. to show their opposition to the bill.
The CBC's Jean Laroche continues to tweet updates in the live blog below.