TORONTO — Education workers across Ontario are looking for a significant wage increase.
According to a summary of bargaining proposals from the Canadian Union of Public Employees, CUPE is asking the Ontario government to agree to a pay hike of 11.7 per cent for 55,000 members.
The union represents a broad range of education workers including administrative staff, custodians, educational assistants and early childhood educators.
It says their average wage is currently $27.87/hr.
Wage increases for public sector workers in Ontario have been held to one per cent a year under controversial Bill 124 which was passed in late 2019.
CUPE has called for termination of the legislation, which is supposed to expire later this year.
The union has previously stated that years of systemic and structural under funding have resulted in under staffing and unsustainably low wages for education workers.
The annual inflation rate in Canada was 8.1 per cent in June.
In the ongoing talks for an agreement to replace contracts that expire at the end of this month, CUPE is also seeking minimum hours of work for full-time staff and the extension of benefits to more workers.
