As many of you may be aware, CUPE Education Workers are currently fighting for a fair deal. On Monday, October 31st, the Ford Conservatives tabled legislation that would impose an unfair deal on Education workers and violate their constitutional right to bargain fairly!

This legislation will take away CUPE Education Workers’ ability to legally strike, imposing a daily fine of $4000 for individual employees and $500,000 for the union. ¹ In order to pass the bill, and leave CUPE Education Workers no legal way to challenge this unconstitutional legislation, the Ford Conservatives have invoked the notwithstanding clause, overriding the Charter’s protections of the fundamental right to the collective bargaining process. 

This is the first time that the notwithstanding clause has been used to end labour negotiations. It is an extremely concerning precedent to set! ²

If you would like to show your support for our fellow CUPE Education workers, and your disdain for this blatant trampling of workers’ rights, please consider wearing purple, sending a message to Doug Ford, calling your local MPP, and/or coming out to a picket line on Friday, November 4th:

• Find a picket line near you: https://t.co/Z92gxiiZZo
• Send a message to Doug Ford: https://cupe.on.ca/dontbeabully/
• Find your local MPP and call/contact them: https://www.elections.on.ca/en/voting-in-ontario/electoral-districts.html

In solidarity,
Your Executive