Once again, CUPE education workers have served the government with a five-day strike notice as negotiation talks turn sour.
Just two days after the Ontario government repealed the controversial Bill 28, the threat of another strike and school closures has returned.
According to a statement on the CUPE website, the Ontario School Boards Council of Unions has been able to come to a middle ground with the Ford government when it comes to wages. However, the government is still refusing to invest more money into putting more educational assistants in classrooms to help kids (especially those with special needs) catch up post-pandemic.
“From the beginning, we’ve been focused on improved jobs for education workers and improved services for students. For us, there is no one without the other,” said Laura Walton, educational assistant and president of CUPE–OSBCU. “It’s incredibly disappointing that the Ford government categorically refused to put money on the table to give students the type of learning environment they need.”
