Strike over – school support staff head back to work

November 5, 2015 · 0 Comments

As of November 2nd, Ontario has reached a tentative deal with the union representing education support staff (Canadian Union of Public Employees or CUPE), ending a work to rule campaign across the province that started in September at all schools throughout the province.
At one point Premier Kathleen Wynne had said if CUPE’s 55,000 support staff didn’t end their job action by November 1st she would give permission to school boards to trigger five days notice to dock their pay or take other punitive action.
The deadline came and went with no word, as talks with the unions continued. Deputy Premier Deb Matthews says the government held off at that time as talks appeared to be making progress.
A statement issued by the province Monday morning said CUPE had agreed to stop all job action pending ratification of the deal. The union’s members include custodial staff, office administrators, early childhood educators, tradespeople, library technicians and speech pathologists.
The tentative agreement covers workers in all four school board systems: English public and Catholic, and French public and Catholic.
CUPE’s last contract expired in August 2014 and although terms of this deal were not released, it conforms to the government’s “net-zero” approach to talks with public labour unions, meaning any salary increases are offset through savings elsewhere. However the statement said the deal address the unique circumstances of school support workers, who earn an average salary of $38,000 and can be laid off multiple times a year.
Support staff play an integral role in ensuring our schools provide welcoming, safe and clean environments and is evident in the school pictures showing the dirt and garbage that piled up while they were on strike. Parents and students alike are welcoming their return.

By Michelle Janzen