Striking school custodians, early childhood educators, educational assistants and office staff are on the streets of downtown Owen Sound today picketing near Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound Progressive Conservative MPP Rick Byers’ constituency office.
Dozens of picketers marched along 1st Avenue West and nearby streets Friday morning waving signs and chanting as one strike leader spoke sayings into a loudhorn such as “this is what democracy looks like” and “Ricky’s gotta go” – referring presumably to the local MPP.
It’s the first day of job action by Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) members after negotiations with the Ford government broke off. The strike defies the Keeping Students in Class Act, pre-emptive back-to-work legislation passed by the Progressive Conservatives yesterday to mandate a four-year contract onto union members and make the strike illegal.
The legislation includes fines of up to $4,000 for individual workers who take part in the job action, and up to $500,000 for any organizing union, media reports say.
Chris Juniper, the Ontario School Board Council of Unions Regional Lead for Grey Bruce and head custodian at Northport Elementary School in Port Elgin, was among those picketing Friday morning in Owen Sound. He says CUPE members won’t return to work until they get a fair deal.
“We’re out. We’re done until there’s a deal. We’re not going to stand for our rights being taken away from us,” Juniper says. “We did everything we were supposed to do. We followed the process. They never made an effort and this is now a labour movement.”
To parents who may be frustrated with the disruption, Juniper says: “We want the kids in school too. But we want the school we remember. It’s not the school it used to be. Cuts are hurting kids. Kids aren’t getting the attention they need in the younger grades. Too many kids who need special attention are only getting help for one or two periods a day and being left alone for the other two periods a day. We’re looking for full coverage. We’re looking for an investment in our future. And we’re looking to keep our heads above water. We’re losing people. We can’t keep custodians. We can’t find (educational assistants). The boards are calling in emergency help, who are just parents with no special training. It’s awesome they’re willing to help, but we need proper funded schools.”
The contract mandated by the Progressive Conservative government in the Keeping Students in Class Act is a 2.5 per cent annual increase for those earning less than $43,000 a year, and 1.5 per cent for others. The union had been seeking 11.7 per cent annual hikes in its next contract, and according to media reports had reduced its wage demand to six per cent in recent days before mediated talks broke off.
Bayshore Broadcasting News has reached out to the office of MPP Byers seeking comment for this story.
Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board schools are closed today because of the job action. Starting next week, they’ll move to remote learning for as long as the CUPE strike continues.
All schools in the Bluewater District School Board remain open today.
But sources have told Bayshore Broadcasting News the Bluewater Board could be considering a move to remote learning soon as well. The board’s communications officer Jamie Pettit couldn’t confirm this Friday morning, but says there will be further communication about the board’s response to the job action coming later today.
Downtown @CityOwenSound @CUPEOntario Strike @NewsBayshore pic.twitter.com/Asu6REcy6P
— Fred Wallace (@BayshoreFred) November 4, 2022
