Ontario government violating workers' rights, says CUPE local president in North Bay

The province's decision to use the notwithstanding clause to prevent education support workers from going on strike is a violation of their rights, says the president of one northern Ontario local. 

Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce introduced legislation Monday afternoon to prevent a strike and impose a four-year contract on about 55,000 education workers. They include librarians, custodians and early childhood educators, but not teachers. 

Workers could be fined up to $4,000 per day if they strike, under the proposed legislation.

Trevor Russell is a custodian at Silver Birches Elementary School in North Bay and president of CUPE Local 1165 representing support staff in the Near North school board. He said the government has refused to properly negotiate with the union.

He said that in 150 days since the contract talks began, they have only met 14 times.

"So we had no choice but to use our tools as far as the threat of work stoppage in order to get them to come to the table to negotiate," he said.

But Russell said he could not speak to the hypothetical situation of workers walking off the job Friday anyway, except to say he would be willing to stand up for his rights if they are "violated and taken away."

Russell said wages are one of the big issues for the union, as members struggle to keep up with rising inflation.

"We have members that make less than $39,000 a year from the province and can't afford to live," he said.

"We have issues with funding in the school system and this government keeps and continues to cut money out of the budget for education."

Lecce told reporters on Monday that Ontario's education workers have the highest wages in Canada for the work they do.

"And we believe in them, and we support them," he said.

"So much so that we're going to increase their pay every single year over the course of the contract. But they made the decision to strike, and we've made the decision to introduce legislation to provide stability."

Despite the threats of fines, CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn said workers would go on strike Friday.

"If that bill passes before Friday, it doesn't matter. If they say it's illegal to strike, then we will be on a political protest," Hahn said during a news conference.

"We will withdraw our labour, and we will fight back against this attempt to remove our members' rights and to institute a collective agreement. Our members have made that decision, and we proudly support them in doing that."