Ford says wage increase for Ontario public school teachers will be 'more than 1 per cent'
Public-sector teachers in Ontario will see their wages increase by more than one per cent as legislation aimed at capping compensation for those workers is set to expire later this year.
Premier Doug Ford addressed Bill 124 during an unrelated news conference on Thursday, where he marked the upcoming cut to the provincial gas tax which is set to take effect on Friday.
“Well what I can tell you is, their [public-sector teachers] increase is going to be more than one per cent,” Ford said.
READ MORE: Doug Ford's re-election raises questions for Ontario health-care workers
The Progressive Conservative government passed the legislation, dubbed the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, in November of 2019 to limit wage bumps for public-sector workers to one per cent a year.
Touted at the time as a time-limited approach to help eliminate the deficit, the provisions were only set to be in effect for three years, but Ford has stayed tight-lipped on whether or not his government will repeal or extend the measures.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
His comments come as the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) -- which represents 55,000 education and other frontline workers in Ontario -- held a news conference at Queen’s Park to call for an end to the controversial bill, which also limits the wages of those working in the province’s health-care system.
“In light of historic inflation, currently at 7.7 per cent, that [one per cent wage increase] amounts to an unacceptable wage cut. This means that frontline workers – like PSWs, RPNs, caretakers at Universities, and so many others—are now struggling to make ends meet let alone get ahead,” the union said in a news release.
Amid the calls to repeal the measures in the face of growing inflation, Ford said he has “all the confidence” in Education Minister Stephen Lecce, who is tasked with negotiating the details of some major teacher contracts that are set to lapse.
“He’ll do a fine job and fairly negotiate a deal,” Ford said. “We fully understand inflation. We fully understand the cost of living is going up.”
Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education shakes hands with Premier Doug Ford as he takes his oath at the swearing-in ceremony alongside Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowdeswell at Queen’s Park in Toronto on June 24, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Ford went on to say that while the increases teachers will see will not be “through the roof,” he maintained that negotiations will be “fair” and keep students in the classroom.
“I get it, I understand costs are going up. But we cannot have the kids out of school, no matter what,” he said.
“My message to the teachers unions is one thing: those kids have to be back in school in September. And they have to be back in school with extra-curricular activities.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What's a Barnacle? It's yellow, sticks and screams if you try to pry it off your car
Barnacles, bright yellow devices used to make sure parking scofflaws pay their tickets, could soon be making their way to cities across Canada.
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.