The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is throwing its support behind teachers’ unions that plan to challenge the bill in court if it passes in the legislature.

It says the legislation violates the right to meaningful collective bargaining and removes the right to strike before there’s even the threat of one.

Lawyer Steven Barrett says the proposed law is an unprecedented attack on the civil liberties and constitutional rights of educational workers.

He says governments should defend those rights, not violate them.

The bill would freeze pay for teachers and cut benefits, as well as give the McGuinty Liberals the right to ban strikes and lockouts for at least two years.