The provincial government has given its word in writing that it will rescind controversial legislation and go back to the negotiation table with members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
Emily Cole, the regional communications lead of CUPE 1176, and the head custodian for Bluewater Outdoor Education Centre says “We’ve had such strength in numbers, and not just from CUPE, or OSBCU. We’ve had strong numbers from the community, other unions backing us and I believe that going forward in negotiations, that should be a definite plus for us.”
She says that now that the Ford government has given their guarantee in writing that the legislation would be repealed, they feel more confident going into negotiations. She says that the president of the Ontario School Board Council of Unions president Laura Walton is a driving force for contract talks.
“We are very confident going into negotiations. Laura Walton — the president of OSBCU — has been such a strong backbone for everybody, and she is not giving up on negotiations and proposals. She is definitely in it for the long run for a good deal for everybody.”
CUPE members are heading back to the bargaining table looking for a wage increase of $3.25 an hour, as well as support for educational assistants, help with staffing for custodial services, and increasing funding for educational programs after years of funding cuts.
