Members of Ontario’s legislature are set to debate a bill that would impose a contract on education workers and ban them from striking. The Progressive Conservative government has ordered the legislature back this morning in order to speed up passage of the bill. The legislation comes after the Canadian Union of Public Employees said its 55,000 education worker members would start a full strike on Friday. myFM asked you what your opinion is on the strike, and most of you agree with CUPE workers, but are also worried about your children’s education.
myFM also asked your opinion on the strike and some of you are siding with the workers.
The Ontario government plans on passing legislation that will prevent CUPE workers from going on strike. But a CUPE Spokesperson says they will go on a political strike if need be and are in a legal strike position as of Thursday. The 55,000 Union backed school librarians, custodians and early childhood educators could start a full strike on Friday to support their call for salary increases of 11.7% per year.
As far as Thames Valley, the school board sent out notice to parents Monday stating if a full withdrawal of services occurs, all Thames Valley in-person students will move to independent/remote learning activities on Friday, November 4. Schools will not be open to students and transportation will not be running. In-person learning cannot operate safely, and devices cannot be deployed at this time without CUPE staff. There is no change for those students who are enrolled in Full Remote and/or Virtual Learning.
If a full withdrawal of services occurs on Friday, November 4, there will be no before/after school programs, no Child Care Centres and no EarlyON Family Centres at Thames Valley schools due to health and safety concerns.
written by: C. Soares