Editor's note: Since the publication of this story, Premier Doug Ford agreed to repeal Bill 28 after CUPE agreed to end its labour action. You can read details about that here. Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon also advises that its schools will actually be open tomorrow, and parents have been advised of this change in plans.
More than 100 CUPE education workers in Sudbury were out protesting near the corner of The Kingsway and Barrydowne Road on Monday as they joined colleagues across Ontario in a walkout that began on Friday.
While some local schools were closed on Friday after OPSEU education workers joined in their colleagues’ protest, they were back open on Monday.
However, one local school board, Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon, announced Monday that its schools would be closed beginning Tuesday for health and safety reasons.
No such announcement has yet been made by the other local school boards, although the Rainbow District School Board has asked parents to make child-care contingency plans.
The CUPE members walked off the job on Friday despite legislation that imposed a contract on the 55,000 education workers, including custodians, maintenance workers and educational assistants, banning them from striking.
The province also invoked the notwithstanding clause, which allows it to override sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Charity Sidore, president of CUPE 1369, representing custodial and maintenance workers at Sudbury Catholic District School Board, was among those protesting at the busy New Sudbury intersection on Monday.
Besides her union role, she is the chief daytime custodian at St. Charles Catholic Elementary School in Chelmsford.
Sidore said she thinks it’s actually “very unsafe” that schools were operating without her members on Monday, given their critical role.
She added that she’s “pretty speechless” about the actions that have been taken by the Ford Progressive Conservative provincial government.
“This government has been known to use a heavy hand,” she said. “When the legislation was passed, I was honestly sick to my stomach. I felt violated, I felt betrayed by the government that is supposed to be protecting these Charter rights, and they are literally stripping them away from the people of Ontario.”
Sidore said she and her fellow union members are asking for “respect” from their employers.
“We're asking for better wages,” she said. “It's been 10 years of nothing. Even minimum wage in the last five years has gone up $5. We have not seen an increase in our wages.”
She said she has members that are making around $25,000 per year, working full-time.
“You cannot live on that,” Sidore said. “You can't live on that anywhere in Ontario right now.”
Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday he is willing to repeal legislation (Bill 28, the Keeping Students In Class Act) that imposed a contract on 55,000 education workers and banned them from striking, if the workers' union agrees to end a walkout that's shut many schools.
Ford said he is willing to be flexible and go back to the bargaining table, but education workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees have to get back into the classroom.
"As a gesture of good faith, our government is willing to rescind the legislation, willing to rescind (the notwithstanding clause), but only if CUPE agrees to show a similar gesture of good faith by stopping their strike," he said at a news conference Monday morning.
"I desperately hope that CUPE shows the same willingness to compromise as we are today. I hope they hear my plea to keep students in class, but that’s not something I can guarantee you."
CUPE was set to hold a news conference on the matter later Monday morning.
CityNews 680 in Ottawa reports that two separate union sources confirm CUPE will be calling for a general strike in Ontario beginning in a week, on Nov. 14.
-With files from Canadian Press
Heidi Ulrichsen is Sudbury.com’s associate content editor. She also covers education and the arts scene.
