CUPE members vote 93% in favour of strike

A major union representing education workers in Ontario says its members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a potential strike that could take effect by the end of the month.

The Canadian union of public employees (CUPE) says 93% of its 55 000 members voted in favour of job action. The union says its members are concerned about increases to average class sizes, shifts towards online learning models and a gradual reduction in the number of working teachers. The changes were implemented over the past year by the Progressive Conservatives under Doug Ford.

The union says it intends to continue bargaining with the Ontario government, and hopes to avoid a strike but members are prepared to walk off the job in order to push back against what they see as cuts that will compromise the quality of education in Ontario’s schools.