There’s labour peace between Ontario’s education support workers and the province.
CUPE members voted 73% in favour of ratifying a new four-year contract with annual wages increases of 3.59%. That works out to roughly $1 more an hour per year.
During a news conference Monday morning, Laura Walton, president of CUPE’s Ontario School Boards Council of Unions said the contract shows education workers, which includes administrative staff, custodians, educational assistants, and early childhood educators, that they are valued.
“The provincial government thought they could play the same type of games with us that governments have used for years,” said Walton. “Instead we stood our ground, we stared down this government.”
The deal came on the heels of a two-day walk-out last month and back-to-work legislation from the government, including use of the notwithstanding clause to impose a contract on education support staff, which was later repealed.
Meantime, the province remains in negotiations with teachers unions in Ontario.