There appeared to be little movement in negotiations between the Ontario government and the union representing 55,000 education support workers Thursday, days ahead of another potential strike that could shut down Ontario schools.
But Education Minister Stephen Lecce said he is hopeful the two sides will return to the table.
“We really hope that these discussions will continue forward. Today and over the next few days, we hope that there will be talks,” Lecce told CP24 Breakfast in an interview Thursday morning. “You know, ultimately, despite the strike notice, we can still have productive conversations at the table and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) announced Wednesday that it had given the mandatory five-day notice for a strike after renewed bargaining broke down.
The union represents custodial staff, teaching assistants, administrative staff and other workers.
Workers and the government had returned to the table after a brief strike earlier this month. The strike ended when the Ford government agreed to rescind legislation that prohibited workers from striking and used the Notwithstanding Clause to avoid any potential constitutional challenge to its legislation.
The Ford government’s move sparked an outcry from labor groups and even prompted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to call the measure inappropriate.
The union has since said that the two sides recently agreed to a 3.59 percent pay rise, but that CUPE is still not satisfied with staffing levels for its workers.
“From the beginning, this negotiation has been about chronically low wages for these workers, but it’s also been about services in schools,” CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn told CP24 on Thursday.
He said the jobs the union is fighting for must be there “so students have the support they need to succeed.”
Hahn said the talks broke down again because “it’s hard to negotiate with yourself.”
“You know, the government basically said this is it, this is all we’ve got. And you know, there’s been movement — they’ve had to move because of the massive support that was there because of its massive reach with Bill 28, with the invocation of the clause notwithstanding.
“This whole crisis that happened just a few weeks ago was unnecessary, just as what is happening now is unnecessary. Resources are available. The financial accountability officer says there is a budget surplus, there are ways the government could make these investments and help the schools that really help our children. And that’s really the focus of the negotiation for our people.”
For his part, Lecce has said that the government has done what he asked by repealing the law and accepting better wages and is disappointed that the union is going on strike again.
Lecce also said he believes compensation remains “the fundamental flaw” in the negotiations, despite CUPE’s insistence that it is no longer a major issue.
“We want to get kids on track and we want to help them catch up, but it all starts with them being in school,” she said. “And that’s why I think we’re very disappointed by the union’s decision to go on strike again just weeks after the last one.”
Both sides have been portrayed as fighting for the children in the labor dispute, but parents and children have been left in the middle. Several school boards have said they are finalizing plans for virtual learning in the event of a strike on Monday.