Education workers say wage increases are very much needed amid contract negotiations between the province and the union representing tens of thousands of education workers.
"We're living cheque to cheque, basically. So it's very, very important that we get a decent wage to be able just to live," said Holly Buffalo Rodrique, a high school chief custodian.
Education workers make an average of $39,000 per year, according to CUPE'S Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU).
"We don't make the salary of other educators that are in the room, and they go 'how do you live on that?' Well, exactly," said Kristine Hamilton, an elementary school educational assistant.
"I know many of my colleagues have second jobs. Some even have a third job," said Debbie Popovic, an elementary school librarian.
The union has asked for annual wage increases of 11.7 per cent, or $3.25 per hour.
"Inflation and everything else is making it very difficult for us even to pay bills, make ends meet," said Rodrique.
The province has offered a two per cent raise to education workers making less than $40,000 per year, and a 1.25 per cent raise to everyone else.
OSBCU calls the offer "disrespectful."
“Today, students have no service guarantees,” said Laura Walton, educational assistant and president of OSBCU.
“Tomorrow, education workers will have nothing to prevent their wages from being devalued again and school boards will still have problems keeping and finding employees due to low pay. That’s why we’re calling on Stephen Lecce and Doug Ford to rescind their insulting offer, pay workers a decent wage, and invest in more staff to provide the services students rely on.”
The union has also proposed requiring school boards to establish minimum staffing levels.
"There are not enough people to go around and being an EA, I know other EA's are exhausted," said Hamilton.
Members of OSBCU are set for a strike vote in late September and could take job action in October.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce has said families are tired of threats of instability and strike every 3 years.
