Saskatchewan’s labour movement stands in solidarity with CUPE education workers in Ontario

Ontario government’s legislation is an attack on all workers

The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) stands in solidarity with the 55,000 CUPE Ontario School Boards Council of Unions (OSBCU) members fighting against the Doug Ford Conservatives and their draconian legislation that forces a contract on education workers and violates their constitutional right to strike and to bargain fairly.

To pass the legislation, the Ontario Conservatives are invoking the notwithstanding clause- overriding charter protections of the fundamental right to the collective bargaining process. This is the first time a government in Canada has done so to stop a labour action.

“The Doug Ford government’s use of this legislation is unprecedented, and an attack on the rights of workers not just in Ontario, but across the country,” said SFL President Lori Johb. “If Doug Ford is able to succeed in trampling on the rights of workers unchallenged, there is no reason why other anti-worker governments like Scott Moe and the Sask. Party wouldn’t launch the same attacks on working people.”

The 55,000 education workers are custodians, maintenance and library workers, secretaries, early childhood educators, educational assistants, IT professionals working in publicly-funded schools across Ontario. They are the lowest-paid education workers, earning, on average, only $39,000 a year which has left many on the brink of poverty.

“The SFL fought hard to win the constitutional right to strike at the Supreme Court, and this legislation threatens the constitutional rights of every worker in this country,” said Johb. “Saskatchewan’s labour movement stands in solidarity with OSBCU members in their fight against the Doug Ford Conservatives and their bully tactics,” said Johb. The Ontario government needs to drop this legislation and return to the bargaining table with a real deal for Ontario education workers.”

To show your support of Ontario education workers, visit https://cupe.on.ca/dontbeabully/