School support staff could be in a legal strike position during the first week of school.
School support staff will be in a legal strike position as of September 8th.
Although a lot of focus has been drawn by the possibility of a teachers' strike, the school year could also be put in jeopardy if school support workers take strike action. Support staff have been without a contract for over a year now; that includes everyone from custodians, secretaries, educational assistants, library technicians, and ECEs, as well as many others.
CUPE 4222 represents nearly 1 400 support staff members who service the Thames Valley District School Board. President of CUPE 4222 David DenOuden says what they do for the schools can't be understated.
"Who opens the schools, and makes sure they're safe? Who's the one that in partnership sits with those kids in full day kindergarten. Who makes sure there's safe drinking water for the kids in the schools? You know, who makes sure the computers work and that your doors are opening, that your windows are fixed after people break them over the weekend?" DenOuden says all of the work they do is so vital to keeping the schools running, and yet they've been pushed to the background.
Although teachers have had 20 days at the bargaining table the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 55 000 workers in the province, has only had 3 days to try and find an agreement. DenOuden says there are some very serious issues that need to be resolved. "What are we hoping to get through the negotiations? How about a fair contract? How about a safe work environment? We have a lot of violence in our workplace and we would like that on the table. Monetary items that need to be put on the table, that seem to get brushed off."
"You know, we're the front line workers," says DenOuden. "We're not the teachers, and I understand that the teachers have a hugely important job to do - they really do. But you know what, our jobs are just the same."
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