Ontario education workers launch work-to-rule campaign
Author of the article:
Article content
The Ontario government is seeking more mediation as the first day of a work-to-rule campaign began for 55,000 school workers, Education Minister Stephen Lecce says.
“I want a deal and I want parents in the province to know that I want their kids remaining in class doing what they do best, learning and achieving their potential,” Lecce said Monday. “We’re not going to be deterred from that mission.”
Recommended Videos
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Ontario education workers launch work-to-rule campaign Back to video
tap here to see other videos from our team.
While the education minister told reporters he had asked government negotiators to seek additional mediation opportunities, a CUPE spokesman said no extra dates had been offered.
“However, CUPE representatives would be happy to meet the parties again in mediation if there is the prospect of meaningful progress,” the spokesman added.
The 55,000 CUPE workers — maintenance, clerical and educational assistants — began withdrawing some services Monday, including cleaning hallways which the union says is not a task funded by the provincial ministry.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
“What the provincial government and the trustees’ associations have done is highly irresponsible,” Laura Walton, president of CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions, said in a statement after the latest talks broke off Sunday.
“The province and the CTA (Council of Trustees’ Association) had it within their power to reach a fair deal that protects services for students. But instead they chose to disrupt students’ education by refusing to see the deal that was there to be made. Now they have left millions of students, parents and families out in the cold.”
NDP MPP Marit Stiles said the situation should never have gone this far, and she blamed the Doug Ford government.
“Government set the tone when they went after students, they went to war with students, they went to war with unions before anybody sat down at the table,” Stiles said.
Ryan Bird, a spokesman for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), said there was little to report on the first day of the work-to-rule campaign.
“We don’t anticipate that students will notice much of a difference in the opening days of the job action,” Byrd said in an e-mail Monday. “Should a tentative deal not be reached and the job action continues, there may be a more significant impact on school operations.”
The TDSB issued a letter to parents that cautioned schools will remain open and instructional activities continue during the partial withdrawal of service, although school activities, permits and operations may be impacted if the job action lasts longer.
The CUPE workers are employed at 63 public school boards across Ontario.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.