UPDATE, 9:30 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 3
Better make plans now if you haven’t already for your kids beginning tomorrow.
The province has rejected a counter offer from the union representing 55,000 educational support workers. CUPE says its educational support workers will go on strike Friday and stay off the job indefinitely until a negotiated agreement with the province is hammered out.
The Toronto Star reports the new deal from the Canadian Union of Public Employees dropped their demand of a salary increase from 11-point-seven percent to five percent annually over the life of the contract.
However, when contacted by the Vista Radio National News Desk, CUPE spokesperson Laura Walton says they cannot comment on the details of the offer as part of the confidentiality agreement with the independent mediator.
But Walton says they did offer substantial movement in their demands of the province in the interest of reaching an agreement.
How the province rejected the union’s counter offer is not known as Education Minister Stephen Lecce said yesterday, they would not continue to negotiate with the union unless it dropped the strike mandate for Friday.
We have reached out to the province for comment but have had no response.
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 12 noon
A line has been drawn in the sand between the union representing Ontario’s 55,000 education workers and the province.
Neither side is budging Wednesday afternoon.
CUPE says a strike will go ahead on Friday if a negotiated deal is not reached.
The union is also warning the strike will continue past Friday until a contract agreement is hammered out.
That means parents should be prepared to have students out of school until that happens.
CUPE clarified Wednesday afternoon that education workers’ protests will not be held at schools on Friday but will be held in front of MPPs constituency offices.
The province has said unless the union removes its threat of a strike, they will not go back to the negotiating table.
CUPE has sent the province a counter-offer and says it remains committed to negotiating with the province.
Details of the counteroffer are confidential at the request of the independent mediator.
The Ford government is trying to push legislation through that would force a contract on the union membership and by using the notwithstanding clause removes the union’s right to strike.
***With files from Wendy Gray