The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said despite “many delayed efforts to reach a freely negotiated settlement,” talks with the provincial government have once again “broken down.”
“I urge the Ford administration to seize the time we have and do the right thing.  Come forward with an agreement that actually helps students catch up,” Laura Walton, president of CUPE’s Council of School Board Unions, said at a press conference Wednesday.
In response, Education Minister Steven Lecce said the government was “very disappointed” by the “unnecessary” decision to strike.
“We came to the table in good faith, demonstrating a commitment to low-wage workers and parents’ commitments to keep their children in school.  And yet today, they have again decided to put the province on five-day strike notice,” he said at an impromptu press conference at Queen’s Park after news of the impending job action.
CUPE education workers are still in a legal strike position after a conciliator issued what is known as a “no council” report on 17 October.
The union does not need to re-apply for the report if it wants to strike again.
Both sides remained tight-lipped in closed-door negotiations at the mediator’s request, but Lecce said the ministry had offered “multiple improved offers” that would add “hundreds of millions of dollars across the sector.”
Meanwhile, Walton said the government’s most recent offer to CUPE workers included a $1-an-hour increase for each year of its collective agreement, which she said works out to about a 3.59 percent increase.
“Let me be clear: This is a win for workers.  But it is not enough.  It’s not nearly what we deserve for the care and effort and incredible passion we put into our work,” he said.
The union and the Ontario government returned to the bargaining table last week after a two-day strike by union custodians, librarians and kindergarten teachers.
While most school boards in Ontario have yet to respond to the news, many were forced to close after the previous job action left millions of students out of class and parents scrambling to find child care.
As of Wednesday afternoon, only the Toronto Catholic District School Board has confirmed that it will close all of its schools in the event of a strike.  At the same time, the Toronto District School Board said it is still finalizing information before making an announcement.
Education workers first walked out on 4 November after negotiations over new contracts collapsed and the government introduced and passed legislation making it illegal to strike, despite the union being in a legal position to do so at the time.
On Monday, Doug Ford’s government scrapped Bill 28 — which used the controversial notwithstanding clause — making good on his promise to repeal the legislation in a good-faith effort to end the labor action and return to negotiations.
The government’s latest public offer to education workers included an annual pay rise of 2.5 per cent for those making less than $43,000 and 1.5 per cent for the rest of the workforce.