Thousands of education workers began picketing Friday morning, a day that marks the largest education strike in the history of Ontario since 1997.
“Today is historic,” said support eduction worker, Kathy Gristey at the Upper Grand District School Board as cars continuously honked in support of the education workers in red hats as they drove by on the picket line on Eramosa Road.
With the four major unions on strike (Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association, 'L'Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens), the shutdown of public schools in the province is resulting in approximately two million students missing a school day.
With a flag that read ‘day of mourning’ firmly planted in the snow — that is used April. 28 to remember OSSTF workers who have been killed or hurt while on the job — Gristey said today is also a day of mourning.
“Look at the money that’s being lost today by our education workers and teachers. It’s not about our two per cent cost of living at this point. We’re losing money and not only that, many of our people are parents that also have to pay for daycare on top of losing a day's salary to be out here to show Stephen Lecce and Doug Ford that this is unacceptable,” said Gristey.
She says with all the frustrations in mind, the sentiment of solidarity between eduction workers is even stronger than it was when the strikes first began.
“People are starting to understand, and hopefully the parents as well and the public out there that this is not about compensation,” said Gristey.
Yesterday, Minister of education, Stephen Lecce released a statement sating that children should be in class and not be the casualty of union-led escalation.
We have demonstrated this focus on students during the negotiation process, by advancing educational priorities that matter: merit-based hiring, enhanced investments in student priorities and special education over union demands for more generous wages and benefits and committed - in writing - to protecting all-day kindergarten.
Lecce said while union leaders are continuing to organize further disruption, the provincial government remains focused on getting deals that ensure students are learning each and every day.
“We had nine of our employees that were laid off in a lay of position as a result of cuts that were potentially coming. They hadn’t even hit yet. What going forward is that going to mean for the support to the students in the classrooms?” said Gristey.
David DelDuca, a secondary teacher with the WCDSB, said the board believes that everything that has been proposed by the provincial government is not in the best interest of education.
He says the education workers know how challenging the strike is but are all doing it for the right reasons.
“It’s all about the kids. It’s all about the quality of education that we can offer and if the government is going to continue digging their heels in with the suggested cuts and the proposals they’ve been offering at the bargaining table, we're not willing to accept that,” said DelDuca.
He said the overall sentiment among education workers at the WCDSB has been very supportive of the decision to take provincial wide strike action.
“I would call this a day of solidarity,” said DelDuca.
“If we accept any of the cuts proposed by the government, we will be mourning the loss of world-class education in Ontario.”
