Ontario is proposing to give education workers making less than $40,000 raises of two per cent a year and 1.25 per cent for everyone else in a proposed four-year contract.
The proposal, tabled Monday in negotiations with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, marks the first indication of what the Progressive Conservative government is seeking in the agreements, which are also being negotiated with the four major teachers’ unions.
The previous contracts were subject to legislation known as Bill 124, introduced by the government in 2019, which capped wage increases at one per cent a year for three years for public sector workers.
Read more: Ontario education union prepares for strike vote amid ongoing contract talks
CUPE and other unions said they were pushing for increases both to offset the wage cap and to deal with the rising cost of living. Statistics Canada reported that annual inflation in June was 8.1 per cent.
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The union says it is “disheartened” by the government’s proposal, which it says will not allow workers to pay rising rent costs or put food on their tables.
CUPE represents 55,000 workers, including early childhood educators, school administration workers, bus drivers and custodians. Deals for the five major education unions expire on Aug. 31, and the terms of the first deal reached in a round of bargaining often set the standard for others.
CUPE has asked the province for an annual wage increase of 11.7 per cent – or $3.25 an hour – arguing that workers’ wages have been constrained over the past decade and inflation is expected to rise further.
Education Minister Stephen Leche said in a statement that the government’s proposal was reasonable, fair and provided stability.
Read more: Union wants 11.7 per cent raise for Ontario educators in bargaining proposal
“As students return to normal classes this September with the full school experience, including sports and extracurricular activities, we are committed to a fair deal with all education unions and a good deal for Ontario students and their families,” he wrote.
A four-year agreement, as proposed, instead of three, would ensure that the topic of education bargaining does not come up again before the next scheduled election in 2026.
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A spokeswoman for Lecce noted that CUPE is also asking for five additional paid days before the start of the school year, 30 minutes of paid preparation time each day and an increase in overtime pay from a factor of 1.5 to 2.
If the terms of CUPE’s proposal were applied to all education contracts, it would cost taxpayers $21.8 billion over the proposed three years, Caitlin Clark said in a statement.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
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