Ontario government, CUPE still 'far apart' at the bargaining table

The union representing education workers across the province says they are still "far apart" at the bargaining table with the Ontario government when it comes to striking a new deal.

“The government’s position has minimally changed since last week,” the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) said in a statement released Monday night.

At the mediator’s request, the union said it is holding off on providing a more fulsome update until Tuesday.

“I wish I could stand up here today and say all bills are gone, contracts ready, off we go. That would be a perfect storm. We are far apart, but we are committed,” Laura Walton, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees' (CUPE) Ontario School Board Council of Unions, said at a Monday afternoon news conference.

Her remarks on the ongoing negotiations come as the Ford government repeals a law that imposed a contract on education workers and banned them from striking.

In just 20 minutes, the legislature unanimously voted on revoking Bill 28 and deemed it "for all purposes never to have been in force."

The premier offered to withdraw the legislation a week ago if CUPE members agreed to return to work, which they did.

Walton said talks at the bargaining table have been “slow” because the union had doubts that the government would follow-through with their commitment to revoke the legislation.

“I don't think there was a whole lot of trust on our side, that this day would actually happen. Now that we know that this day has actually happened, that team is ready to head back and we're ready to focus,” she said.

The government’s last offer to education workers included an annual wage increase of 2.5 per cent for those making less than $43,000 and 1.5 per cent for the rest of the workforce.

Since then, Ford has said that a new, unrevealed “improved” offer is in the works, one that would “particularly” benefit lower-income workers.

Unconfirmed reports surfaced on Tuesday citing a new offer of 3.5 per cent and 2 per cent, but Walton said at the time that the union would not accept a two-tiered offer.

On Monday, she pushed forward that message. “They would like you to believe that by dividing workers and to haves and have nots, that that is going to achieve some sort of peace in the labour movement,” Walton said.

“What will actually work is a flat rate increase, because a flat rate increase is going to allow those with lower income to actually move up quicker than those with the higher income, and it actually deals with the disparity and the inequity in a way that isn't intended to divide and conquer.”