A strike could be looming for educational support workers in Ontario.
Almost 96% of members of the union representing caretakers, educational assistants, librarians, and other workers have voted in support of walking off the job if they don’t come to an agreement with the province.
The union is demanding a wage increase of 11.7 per cent this year, to allow the lowest-paid employees in the school system to cope with inflation.
The government has offered two per cent more to those earning under $40 thousand a year, and 1.25 per cent to everyone else.
“While these results are not surprising given that education unions have voted to hold strikes against families for nearly five decades, we are still extremely disappointed with the results,” says Education Minister Stephen Lecce. “CUPE is charging ahead with a strike while demanding nearly 50 per cent in increased compensation after two difficult years of pandemic disruptions for students.”
Lecce says the government will continue to remain at the table to make sure kids stay in class without interruption right through to June.
CUPE says just over 45 thousand out of 55 thousand workers cast a ballot.
