Ontario education workers set to give union strike mandate ahead of new talks

By CityNews Staff

Thousands of education workers across the province could be one step closer to job action as a strike vote period comes to an end on Sunday, Oct. 2. 

CUPE’s Ontario School Boards Council of Unions (OSBCU), which represents 55,000 librarians, caretakers and education assistants in the public, Catholic, English, and French school systems, called on its members for a strong strike mandate after “disappointing” talks with provincial negotiators last month.

The results of the vote are expected to be announced on Monday, Oct. 3. 

The union has asked for annual wage increases of $3.25 per hour — or 11.7 per cent – to help address the increase in inflation, as well as minimum staffing requirements, a designated early childhood educator for every kindergarten class, and $100 million to create between 1,500 and 1,700 new jobs.

The Ford government has offered to give education workers who make less than $40,000 raises of two per cent a year, and 1.25 per cent for everyone else in a proposed four-year deal.

“This vote is about education workers throughout Ontario showing the government we stand behind our excellent proposals and we will continue to stand behind them,” said Laura Walton, the president of CUPE’s OSBCU. “It’s time for the Ford government to stop playing games, rescind their out of touch offer, and accept our reasonable, necessary and affordable proposals.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce criticized the union’s move as premature, saying CUPE began planning for the votes before the government’s first offer was tabled.

“They’ve all but confirmed they will strike. And I want families to know that we will stand up for you, for your children, and for the staff who want to be in the classroom,” Lecce said last month.

Regardless of the outcome of the strike vote, the two sides are scheduled to resume talks on Oct. 6.

The province’s five major education unions are all in the midst of contract talks with the government after their deals all expired on Aug. 31.

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