This is what happens next after Ontario education workers vote to strike
Ontario education workers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike if negotiations with the province continue to stall but many parents and school staff may be wondering what comes next.
On Monday, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) announced that employees—including custodians, early childhood educators and school administration staff—voted 96.5 per cent in favour of the action.
So, what happens now?
A vote to strike does not mean that education staff will be on the picket lines straight away. Parents should not expect any immediate disruption in class activities or school schedules.
A strike vote is part of a process that will allow workers to legally take collective work action in the future. If negotiations end up in a stalemate, this gives CUPE the option to start a 17-day strike or lockout countdown in an effort to move bargaining forward.
The union must also give five days’ notice before starting any job action, including a work-to-rule campaign, a lockout or a strike.
The last time education workers negotiated their collective agreements with the Ontario government in 2019, a breakdown of a last-minute mediation resulted in a work-to-rule campaign. During the campaign, there was a partial withdrawal of services performed by support staff, including the cleaning of hallways, gyms and offices, as well as garbage pickup outside of school.
A five-day notice of a province-wide strike was issued a few days later, and a tentative deal was reached after some last minute negotiations.
The government is scheduled to sit down with the union again on Oct. 17 and Oct. 18. However, if no changes are made to wages in the offer, it is unclear if much headway will be made.
CUPE is asking for a wage increase of $3.25 per hour, or an annual increase of about 11.7 per cent. They argue that since salary increases have been capped at one per cent due to Bill 124 for the last three years, this kind of raise is necessary to keep up with inflation.
The government, however, has offered workers making less than $40,000 a year a two per cent raise and everyone else a 1.25 per cent raise for the next four years.
CUPE is also asking for 30 more minutes of paid preparation time each day, five additional paid days prior to the school year and an increase in overtime pay.
With files from Siobhan Morris and the Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.