Alison Jones, The Canadian Press Published Friday, October 7, 2022, 1:34 PM EDT Last Updated Friday, October 7, 2022, 2:41 PM EDT
TORONTO – A union representing 55,000 Ontario education workers, such as custodians, librarians and early childhood educators, says it has reached an impasse in bargaining with the government.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees says if there’s no real movement by the end of the day, they’ll ask for what’s known as a “no-board” report, indicating a deal can’t be reached.
If the conciliator then issues a “no board” report, he sets a 17-day countdown before the union is in a legal strike position.
Laura Walton, president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of School Boards Unions, did not say whether educators would join a full strike or a management drive at this point. But she noted that there are two more days of negotiations this month – October 17 and 18.
“If that’s the push they need to come to the table, then it’s going to happen,” Walton said at a news conference.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the government is at the table ready to strike a fair deal and he has called CUPE’s demands unreasonable.
“After being back at school for a month catching up, I can’t imagine that parents and children will be sitting around this weekend thanking the relentless pursuit of education unions for classroom disruption,” he wrote in a statement.
Lecce also wrote that the government “will ensure that children stay in class. Monthly cycle.” That echoed the sentiment of Ontario Premier Doug Ford earlier this week. Asked about using back-to-work legislation in the event of a CUPE strike, Ford told education workers, “Don’t force my hand.”
CUPE is seeking an annual increase of 11.7 percent, and the government has responded by offering a two percent increase a year for workers making less than $40,000 and 1.25 percent for all other workers.
Since then, neither CUPE nor the Government have made any new wage proposals.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on October 7, 2022.
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