Premier Doug Ford says he’s “begging” CUPE Ontario education workers not to go on strike.
Members of CUPE Ontario, which represents 55,000 education workers at all four publicly-funded boards as well as maintenance and office staff, have voted 96.5% in favour of a strike.
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“There’s one thing that we’ve said right from the beginning — we don’t want any disruptions in the schools,” Ford said Thursday. “We want to make sure the students have a good experience along with the certainty for the parents. And so I’m asking to the unions, the teacher unions, please don’t go on strike, don’t force my hand, just please you know continue negotiating because I’m a strong believer in negotiating but do not go on strike.”
The Premier did not say directly that he would legislate strikers back to work, but he stressed students did not need any more disruptions after two years of pandemic.
Laura Walton, president of CUPE’s Ontario School Boards Council of Unions (OSBCU), said in a statement that the union has put forward proposals on the table that are reasonable, necessary and affordable.
“Doug Ford has the power and resources to accept our proposals today,” Walton said. “If he does that, the lowest paid education workers who are paid on average only $39,000 a year won’t have to strike to make ends meet and to defend services for students from Ford’s cuts.”
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CUPE Ontario has asked for an annual 11.7% increase over four years while the Ford government is offering 2% a year to workers making less than $39,000 and 1.25% annually for those earning more.
While calling the teacher’s pay hike demands unreasonable, Ford said he believes in negotiations and suggested there might be room to reach a deal.
“I’m not going to get into the weeds on negotiations, but we’ve put 8% over four years on the table,” Ford said. “The teachers unions they want 50%, everyone knows that’s not realistic, but we’re going to negotiate fairly, treat everyone fairly and get the kids you know an opportunity to stay in school without interruptions with extracurriculars.”
Education Minister Stephen Lecce said replicating an 11.7% wage increase across the entire education sector — all teacher contracts have expired as well — would cost in the billions of dollars.
aartuso@sunmedia.ca
