Education workers across the province have put in a five day notice to strike. Both UGDSB and WCDSB in Guelph and Wellington County have education workers in CUPE.
UGDSB is currently doing contingency planning so learning for students is uninterrupted and schools remain open, said in a statement from UGDSB.
“Strike action may take various forms, from a withdrawal of some services to a rotating or full strike, and contingency planning addresses all scenarios. The board will prioritize communication to our school communities about any impact a strike may have on schools,” said Heather Loney, UGDSB communications manager, in an e-mail.
“In the UGDSB, CUPE represents custodial and maintenance staff, as well as adult ESL instructors. We highly value the service of CUPE workers and respect the collective bargaining process,” said a statement from UGDSB statement.
UGDSB has 224 custodial and maintenance staff. The board also has 18 ESL instructors.
Statement from the UGDSB Director and Chair regarding possible provincial labour action https://t.co/F2Wyh5amyt @DirectorUGDSB @LBusuttil #UGInfo
— Upper Grand DSB (@ugdsb) October 30, 2022
CUPE is bargaining for more educational assistants, library workers, custodians, maintenance workers, tradespeople, secretaries, lunchroom supervisors, and an early childhood educator in every kindergarten class, said in a CUPE press release.
The wage increase proposed was an extra $3.35 per hour in a three-year collective agreement, said in the press release.
“We have been urging the Ford government to reach a deal with us for 150 days, but so far they keep saying ‘no’ even though they could easily afford to say ‘yes’ given their $2.1 billion surplus.” said Laura Walton, educational assistant and president of CUPE’s Ontario School Boards Council of Unions, in a press release.
Mediation begins at the bargaining table on Nov. 1 between education workers in CUPE and the Ontario government.
The notice to strike does not mean CUPE staff will be going on strike.
New legislation to keep students in class will be announced on Monday by Ontario Education Minister, Stephen Lecce.
Previously, the government offered a raise of two per cent for education workers who make under $40,000 a year, reported by the Canadian Press.
Lecce said a new deal would give a 2.5 per cent increase to those making less than $43,000 and 1.5 per cent for everyone else.
CUPE is seeking an annual increase of 11.7 per cent, overtime pay at twice the regular rate and 30 minutes of paid prep time every working day for educational assistants and ECEs, continued in the Canadian Press report.
