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The province’s hydro troubles are growing with the Premier now facing a lawsuit. The Canadian Union of Public Employees or CUPE is suing Kathleen Wynne and two Liberal cabinet ministers in an attempt to try and stop the remaining sale of Hydro One. The Liberal government never returned CUPE’s calls to stop selling the remaining shares of Hydro One so the union is suing for allegedly abusing their powers by putting Hydro One up for sale.

“It will not only increase our hydro bills it will mean that we will lose control over this important lever of our economy. It means our schools, hospitals, transit systems, all of which that rely heavily on hydro will also pay increase costs.” Fred Hahn, CUPE President.

CUPE represents about 260 000 people who work in those affected sectors but President Fred Hahn says this lawsuit is aimed to help everyone in the province. It’ll be Ontarian’s who will be paying for this lawsuit and much like the Hydro One price tag, it won’t be cheap. Hahn puts it this way,

“It’ll cost way less tax payer dollars than if they’re successful in selling the majority of shares in Hydro One. That will cost us enormously and not just today, it’ll cost future generations.”

At a news conference on Wednesday, Wynne says selling Hydro One should help those future generations by funding projects like Hamilton’s LRT and widening Highway 400. The Minister of Environment said they won’t be looking for new buyers until next year but the opposition hopes this lawsuit allows the Liberals to revisit those plans.

According to labour experts, unions have used the courts against the province before, usually to defend their rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. But there isn’t any record showing a union suing the government over the public’s well being as a whole.