PEEL REGION, Ont. – CUPE’s education workers across Ontario are sending support and solidarity to the members of the Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation (OSSTF) who began a strike at the Peel District School Board today.
High school teachers at the Peel District School Board have joined teachers in Durham and the Sudbury region, who began strike action on April 20th and April 27th respectively.
“We fully support high school teachers,” said Terri Preston, chair of CUPE’s central bargaining committee. “The parties have been legislated into a completely new bargaining process, after a great loss of trust and stripping of rights in the last round. It is not the time to gut and re-write collective agreements.”
“CUPE Ontario sends a clear message of solidarity on behalf of all our members, to teachers beginning strike action in Peel region,” said Fred Hahn, president of CUPE Ontario. “CUPE members who work in schools across the province will do all we can do to support the efforts of high school workers and their union to achieve a fair collective agreement.”
“We’ll work to bolster these picket lines in Durham, in Sudbury, and in Peel,” said Candace Rennick, secretary-treasurer of CUPE Ontario. “The fight of OSSTF teachers is our fight, and when these workers win, we all do – including the thousands of children and families who rely on the skill and passion of these dedicated teachers.”
“Our working conditions are students’ learning conditions – no matter which education workers we’re talking about,” said Preston. “We are all fighting for fair contracts and respect for the significant contributions we make to the education system,” said Preston.
In the Peel region, as in all other communities across Ontario, CUPE represents thousands of members who work in municipalities, universities, school boards, social services and healthcare. In Ontario’s school board sector alone, CUPE represents 55,000 early childhood educators, educational assistants, custodians, school office staff, library and computer technicians, trades people and more.
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For more information, please contact:
Andrea Addario, CUPE Communications, 416-738-4329
Craig Saunders, CUPE Communications, 416-576-7316
