CUPE education workers plan to strike Friday, despite Ontario’s new back-to-work legislation

Ontario schools are facing a province-wide strike on Friday. The union representing 55,000 school board employees is defying the Ford government’s attempt to head off a confrontation with new anti-strike legislation introduced today.

Facing a strike deadline of Friday, the Ford government introduced legislation today to head off any strike.

The back-to-work legislation imposes a new contract on members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) who work in schools, such as custodians and teaching assistants.

“This legislation will prohibit strikes and lockouts during the term of operation of the collective agreements,” Minister of Education Stephen Lecce said.

CUPE leader Fred Hahn says the legislation won’t stop a strike by low-paid workers who need a raise.

“On Friday, regardless of what this legislation says, our members will be engaging in a province-wide protest. That means no CUPE education worker will be at work,” Hahn said.

CUPE says the strike could go beyond Friday into next week.

Anthony Marco of the Hamilton and District Federation of Labour sent out a tweet saying,

If the Ford government passes anti-strike legislation against a union BEFORE a strike even happens, workers (both union and non) should be ready to #ShutDownOntario on Friday!

— Anthony Marco (@anthonymarco) October 31, 2022

The Ontario government’s new legislation would give the CUPE workers raises of between 2.5 and 1.5 per cent. They were asking for 11.7 per cent a year for years.

The legislation also calls for massive fines against union members and the union itself for any defiance of the legislation. CUPE says it will pay the fines and support the workers.

The government is hoping it doesn’t come to a strike.

The government says it’s prepared to use its constitutional override power to head off a challenge to its new legislation.

The response from school boards has been mixed. Some have said they’ll shut down the schools if there’s a strike Friday.

The Hamilton boards indicate they’ll assess conditions as they develop. The Halton board is planning in-person learning Friday but a mix of in-person and online after that.

The legislature is going to be sitting at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning so it can get the legislation passed by Thursday night.