The Canadian Union of Public Employees, representing 55,000 Ontario education workers, has filed a five-day strike notice, saying bargaining talks with the province have broken down once more.
CUPE representative, Belleville’s Laura Walton.
“They offered my coworkers a one dollar raise per hour for each year of our collective agreement. That amounts to $1,633 per year.”
MORE BELOW
President of CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions, Belleville’s Laura Walton, an Educational Assistant. (Photo: OSBCU)
The union has been asking for an 11.7% wage increase for three consecutive years. Walton says the province did offer a small increase.
“To the average worker, it’s about 3.59%. That’s a win for workers, but it’s not enough.”
“A one dollar an hour raise is a win for wages, but way back 167 days ago I told you this was never just about wages. This fight started with a focus on services for students.”
A strike could begin as early as Monday.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the government is disappointed at the strike notice and adds that the province has put forward multiple improved offers.
“We increased our wages for the lowest pay workers, put hundreds of millions of dollars on the table and the union has decided to proceed with a strike. Why are we in a position where kids may be out of school, why are we here when we’ve done everything in good faith?”
