While Ontario’s education minister introduced legislation to avert a looming strike by support staff and impose a contract on them, the union says it intends to continue to fight.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says its approximately 55,000 education workers will stage a provincewide protest on Friday, meaning they will be off the job despite the Ontario government tabling legislation to impose contracts and ban a strike.
Ontario introduced legislation on Monday to impose a four-year contract on education workers to avert the strike which Stephen Lecce said was in response to the union’s refusal to withdraw their intent to walk out later this week.
“If we do not act today with legislation, schools will close on Friday,” Lecce said in a news conference following the announcement. “If we do not introduce this law today, and pass it ahead of Thursday, CUPE will again be able to walk out of class with hours notice. To us the choice is clear.”
The government’s latest offer, which will be legally pressed on union workers, would give employees earning less than $43,000 a 2.5 per cent salary increase per year. Those earning above $43,000 would receive a 1.5 per cent yearly increase in pay.
The government had previously been offering raises of two per cent a year for workers making less than $40,000 and 1.25 per cent for all others.
“The government has been left with no choice but to take immediate action today,” Lecce continued. “That’s why we introduced the Keeping Students in Class Act that would establish a four-year collective agreement with CUPE education workers across the province that ensures children remain in class where they belong.”
CUPE has been seeking annual salary increases of 11.7 per cent, overtime at twice the regular pay rate, and 30 minutes of paid prep time per day for educational assistants and ECEs.
Laura Walton, CUPE’s president of school board council of unions, told Global News Monday morning that both the proposed legislation and contract is an “absolute slap to education workers, families and students.”
“It does very little to ensure services are stable and secure in our schools and it attacks workers short-term disability leaves,” she said. “Simply put, it’s a contract that will hurt workers, it will hurt students and it will hurt families.”
Walton added that the legislation is what the education minister “wanted all along.”
“They’re going to do this by bullying their through a government that claims that they are working for workers, or, as Monte McNaughton says, is the backbone for workers. We’re just not seeing it,” she explained.
Prior to tabling the legislation in a question period Monday morning, Lecce said he places the blame on the union for repeated failed bargaining attempts.
“We made a clear commitment to the people of this province that we will stand up and ensure kids are in school without disruption … and nothing should get in the way of that commitment,” he said.
However, Walton said that she doesn’t believe that the government has been bargaining faithfully.
“If they had spent this much time working on what needed to be done for parents, students, families and workers, rather than concocting a collective agreement that would allow them to keep lining their coffers, we all would be much better off,” she said.
CUPE said that they will explore any way they can to fight the bill despite pressure from the Ford government.
In an email sent home to families on Monday afternoon, the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) said “If a full withdrawal of services occurs, all Thames Valley in-person students will move to independent/remote learning activities on Friday, November 4. Schools will not be open to students and transportation will not be running.”
“If a full withdrawal of services occurs on Friday, November 4, there will be no before/after school programs, no Child Care Centres and no EarlyON Family Centres at Thames Valley schools due to health and safety concerns,” the email added.
The latest update from the London District Catholic School Board (LDCSB), which was posted to the board’s website on Sunday, said, “additional information will be provided later this week. However, parents and guardians may wish to consider planning for alternate childcare arrangements.”
“Any decisions regarding LDCSB schools and services will be made in the interests of student and staff safety, security and well-being,” the update added.
Global News has reached out to the LDCSB and TVDSB for further comment.
–With files from The Canadian Press and Global News’ Colin D’Mello and Devon Peacock