WORLD — Ontario’s school support workers are ready to walk off the job after talks collapsed between the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Ontario government. Here’s everything you need to know.
Who are the education workers?
CUPE education workers include educational assistants, custodians, school secretaries, bus drivers, designated early childhood educators, informational technology workers, maintenance workers, library staff and others. CUPE workers walked off the job on Friday (November 4th) after mediated talks with the Ford government ended on Thursday without a new deal.
According to the union, more than 70% of the 55,000 workers are women and more than half work at least one additional job to make ends meet. CUPE has said its workers, who make on average $39,000 a year, are generally the lowest paid in schools. On Tuesday, CUPE reduced its initial wage demand from about 11% to 6%. The government’s latest offer was a 2.5% increase each year over four years for those earning less than $43,000 a year, and 1.5% for those earning more.
Why were CUPE members striking?
The Ontario government, in a bid to block strike action, tabled and passed a piece of back-to-work legislation, known as Bill 28, which used the controversial notwithstanding clause in order to guard against constitutional challenges.
CUPE members began protesting on Friday. Members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) also took part in the protest in solidarity.
The Basics of Bill 28
Bill 28 prohibits any strike action by the Union and its workers, and imposes significant fines for workers and the Union if they engage in a strike action. For individuals, the fines may be up to $4000 per day. For the Union, the fines may be up to $500,000 per day. Additionally, Bill 28 unilaterally imposes contractual terms on the education workers.
Additionally, as a result of the labour action, several school boards across Ontario were forced to close to in-person learning on Friday. Many of the closures extended into Monday as workers continued to strike.
What Does CUPE Strikes Mean for Schools?
Hundred of schools across Ontario were closed Friday as thousands of education workers hit the picket lines, despite controversial legislation passed by the Ontario government making the job action illegal. The largest were in the Toronto, York and Peel District School Boards, including Catholic Boards, respectively.
In Waterloo, CUPE workers and supporters have set up pickets near MPPs’ offices across Ontario, including in Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge.
Protesters at the Regina Street office arrived early on Friday and began their march around 7:30 a.m. By 8 a.m., roughly 100 protestors could be seen marching along Regina and King streets. Participants chanted and waived their signs as nearby cars honked their horns. Protestors stood right in front of the Kitchener and Waterloo City Halls.
CUPE Strikes End
Speaking to reporters Monday morning, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said his government would rescind Bill 28 if CUPE members ended their strike action and returned to work.
Shortly after, Laura Walton, president of CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions, announced the union would be collapsing its protest sites and would be returning to work on Tuesday.
In a statement Monday, Ontario education minister Stephen Lecce said the government plans to revoke Bill 28 “in its entirety” at “the earliest opportunity.”
In order to revoke the bill, the Ontario legislature would need to vote on new legislation.
Will There Be More CUPE Strikes?
CUPE remains in a legal strike position. This means if negotiations fall apart, CUPE would need to give five days’ notice if it intended to strike again. Regardless, unions may still incur fines of up to $220 million.
On all accounts, make sure to keep posted with local news broadcasts to see the foreseeable state of schools and CUPE delegations,
Comments