BREAKING: Ontario’s 55,000 education workers could walk off the job on Friday, if a new collective agreement isn’t negotiated with the province.
A empty teacher's desk is pictured in an empty classroom at Mcgee Secondary school in Vancouver on Sept. 5, 2014. A major union representing education workers in Ontario says its members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a potential strike that could take effect by the end of the month. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan HaywardOn Sunday, the Canadian Union of Public Employees gave its five-day notice to strike.
Despite not knowing what would happen, the Kawartha Pine Ridge District and the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District school boards both already announced they plan to close their buildings if a full strike happens. The Ford government, meanwhile, has proposed a four-year deal that includes a two per cent annual raise for workers who make under $40,000, and a 1.25 per cent yearly wage increase for those who make more.Currently, mediated negotiations are underway, but they. The province and the union are set to return to the bargaining table on Tuesday.
Calling the strike notice an “unfortunate decision” by CUPE, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the province would continue to work to reach an agreement. Lecce previously described his government’s offers as “reasonable”, and has urged the union to come forward with a counterproposal that is more “affordable and fair” than what they have submitted to date.