Tentative Deal Reached Between CUPE and Ford Government

Monday, 21 November 2022 06:13

By Marcie Culbert

Schools across Ontario will be open today after CUPE reached a tentative deal with the province yesterday afternoon.

ONTARIO - Students in Oxford County and across the rest of the province will be in school today.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees reached a tentative deal with the Ford Government yesterday afternoon, in order to avoid the strike planned for today.

The tentative contract includes one-dollar-per-hour raise each year, or about 3.59 percent annually. The union has also stated that the deal is no different than what the province offered last week before the five-day strike notice was issued. It was trying to secure staffing level guarantees over the weekend.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce issued the following statement yesterday:

"Throughout these negotiations, our government’s focus has always been keeping students in the classroom without disruption.

I am pleased to formally announce that the Crown, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and the school board trustee associations, have reached a tentative agreement that keeps schools open so that kids can stay in class. I know this is welcome news to all students, parents, and workers alike, who now have the certainty they’ve been looking for.

This is not a win for governments or education unions, it’s a win for Ontario families who finally have peace of mind knowing their children will remain in the classroom.

After two and a half years of unprecedented disruptions, nothing matters more than stability in our schools. We are pleased to have reached a deal today that will make sure kids are in class catching up on their learning."

CUPE represents 55,000 education workers across Ontario including educational assistants, early childhood educators, custodians and office administration staff. You can read the union's statement in the Twitter post below.

OSBCU 2022 Bargaining Update # 47| Négociation du CSCSO 2022 - Mise à jour no 47 - Important Member Update #OntEd #OnPoli https://t.co/0Xd10iLZ8C pic.twitter.com/i4dCFmzYlC
— OSBCU-CSCSO (@osbcucscso) November 20, 2022