Holly McKenzie-Sutter , The Canadian Press Posted on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at 4:26 pm EDT Last updated on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at 6:39 pm EDT
TORONTO – A union representing Ontario education workers has asked the province for annual wage increases of 11.7 per cent, or $3.25 an hour, as the two sides write a new agreement with ยท school
The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 55,000 workers, including early childhood educators, school administration workers, bus drivers and custodians, shared a summary of bargaining proposals it tabled Tuesday as negotiations continue before existing contracts expire at the end of this month.
The union argued that workers’ wages have been constrained over the past decade and that inflation is expected to continue to rise. Public sector workers have had pay rises capped at one per cent a year in recent years due to a controversial government bill.
CUPE said the average wage for permanent employees is currently $27.87, and the president of the Ontario Council of School Boards Unions said moves to limit education funding by the government and school boards “have pushed many education workers to the brink of poverty”.
“Students and workers deserve better than the crumbs this government throws at us, so my colleagues and I are willing to fight for what students need in the classroom and what we need to do our jobs even better Laura Walton said in a written statement. statement
Other education unions in the process of negotiating new contracts with the provincial government have also said they intend to push for bigger raises to keep pace with cost-of-living increases.
Statistics Canada said the annual inflation rate in June was 8.1 per cent, the biggest increase since 1983.
The president of the Ontario Federation of Secondary School Teachers told The Canadian Press last month that her union is seeking a pay increase that keeps up with inflation and is not restricted by legislation.
Premier Doug Ford has said teachers will get a raise of more than one percent in their new contracts, but has not set an exact figure.
Other CUPE bargaining proposals include demands for minimum weekly working hours for full-time staff and minimum holiday and leave standards, as well as funding to extend benefits to more workers.
A spokeswoman for Education Minister Stephen Lecce would not comment on CUPE’s proposed pay rise, but said the government was “intent” on reaching a deal that would ensure students are in class when school is scheduled to start, with extracurriculars included.
“Students deserve stability, and that’s what we’re focusing on, not just so they can catch up after two years of pandemic disruption, but so they can learn the skills they need to succeed both in and out of the classroom,” he said. Grace Lee said in a written statement.
Lecce and Ford have stressed in recent weeks that they don’t want work stoppages to affect extracurriculars like sports and clubs, which happened during the last round of negotiations three years ago, when teachers took work-by-rule action.
Teachers’ unions have pointed out in response that extracurriculars are voluntary for teachers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 2, 2022.