Ontario CUPE education workers begin voting on whether to strike today

Ontario education workers including administrative staff, custodians and librarians are expected to begin voting Friday on whether to strike.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees has called the provincial government’s initial contract offer, which it made public, insulting.

Ontario has offered raises of two per cent a year for workers making less than $40,000 and 1.25 per cent for all other workers. CUPE, on the other hand, is looking for annual increases of 11.7 per cent.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce has criticized CUPE for planning strike votes since before the first offer was even tabled.

The province’s five major education unions are all in the midst of bargaining new contracts with the government.

CUPE’s 55,000 education worker members are scheduled to vote between Friday and Oct. 2 on whether to strike.