Non-teaching staff threaten school job action

A union representing 55,000 Ontario education workers says members are prepared to step up job action during the first weeks of school.

Around 400 members of CUPE met in Toronto this weekend and voted in favour of escalating job action.

The union plans to start with work-to-rule action before increasing to rotating strikes, and eventually ramping up to a province wide strike.

The workers, including educational assistants, secretaries, custodians, early childhood educators, and technicians, have been without a contract for a year.  A support worker earns about $38,000 per year.

The province has reached tentative deals with English Catholic and high school teachers, but is still negotiating with francophone teachers while negotiations with public elementary teachers resume tomorrow.