Education workers walked off the job Friday in open defiance of Premier Doug Ford’s attempt to legislate a contract for education workers after negotiations broke down earlier this week.
Close to 500 protesters began picketing outside local MPP Todd Smith’s office. The group represented workers from multiple local CUPE unions, supporters from the community, and supporters from other unions marching in solidarity.
Leno Cherily (left) and Natilie Richly(right) are members of other unions who joined the protest in solidarity with local CUPE workers. Photo: Alan-Michael Steele/Quinte News
Liz James, president of CUPE local 1479 representing non teaching education workers from the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District Schoolboard, says the workers on strike right now are the lowest paid education workers in the province, making on average 39 thousand dollars a year.
“I had a call yesterday with the presidents across the province and there was a mom, I’m not calling the president of the local. She does not get to take her kids to a grocery store. They go to the food bank every Friday,” said James. “They do not have enough money to go to a grocery store and buy groceries and that is, unfortunately, the sad reality of many of our workers.”
James went on to say how they felt forced to strike, despite threats of $4000 a day fines from the provincial government for any worker participating, to protect their rights as workers.
“Nobody wants to take a $4000 fine, nobody wants to and no one can afford it but at this point we have no choice. The government has left us with zero choice,” James said. “It was either take the legislated contract and, set up a precedent for the entire province and the entire public sector workers and anyone that has negotiated collective agreements in this province so we don’t we don’t have a choice. Our hands are tied.”
Protestors left signs outside the office of Todd Smith. A sign in the window says he is currently only seeing people by appointment as the protest continues outside. Photo: Alan-Michael Steele/Quinte News
James says the primary issues for CUPE workers are job security, sick leave, and pay. Workers complain of having no job security and that their positions could be changed or eliminated, leaving students without needed support.
Pay increases have been another point of contention. Education workers have been seeing annual raises of either one percent or no raise at all amid pay freezes over the past decade. While the contract being imposed by the Ford government offers a 2.5% annual raise over the 4 year contract, this falls short of the union’s ask for 11.7%.
MPP Todd Smith’s office appeared to be closed, with protesters leaving signs around the door. A sign hung on the door advised that Smith would be meeting with people by appointment only.
