Unions representing some 750 educational workers across Windsor-Essex school boards are hoping for an early jump on contract talks.
The Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1358 have sent a letter to Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra, asking him to consider opening the bargaining window early.
OSBCU President Joe Tigani told WindsorNewsToday.ca that time is of the essence as educational workers grapple with persistent problems.
"We think it's an important time," said Tigani. "We know that there are issues, concerns, and problems across the education sector, and he [Calandra] has the power to bring people together to the table early, and we've asked him to do that, to address major concerns that we see in our school system."
Tigani said that while Queens Park has boasted increased educational spending, it has not kept pace with the rate of inflation, making it difficult for educational workers to make ends meet.
He said short-staffing remains the key issue.
"We want to see a government that steps up, steps up to the plate. We know there's a problem," said Tigani. "We know that there's a staffing problem, we know there's insufficient funding. And it's manifesting, because we see unprecedented levels of violence in our schools. We're at a crossroads."
The Minister of Education has the authority to allow collective bargaining to open as much as 180 days before the expiry of the current contract, which is August 31, according to CUPE. However, Calandra's office had previously indicated that the standard 90-day window may be sufficient.
Tigani said they want to come to the table right away because a strike serves no purpose for anyone involved.
"The hope is that we can have a collective agreement in place before September," said Tigani. "Wouldn't that be a fantastic thing if all the parties could come together and have a real meaningful conversation, and get a collective agreement that works, and have it in place?"
Educational workers include educational assistants, custodians, school secretaries, designated early childhood educators, IT personnel, maintenance workers, and librarians.
The bargaining process for the current deal, in 2022, was a very lengthy one. Talks broke down and resulted in educational workers represented by CUPE walking off the job for two days before the Ontario government enacted the notwithstanding clause and imposed a contract.
Premier Doug Ford later agreed to repeal the legislation as an act of good faith once CUPE returned to bargaining. The current deal was ratified in December 2022.
