Hello Sisters, Brothers and Friends,
As you are probably aware, the Ford government in Ontario is embarking on an unprecedented attack on education workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which includes early childhood educators, secretaries, librarians, educational assistants, custodians, maintenance staff and information technology (IT) professionals.
With Bill 28, the Ontario government wants to impose a four-year contract on education workers ordering them to return to work and threatening them with massive fines if they do not comply.
This Bill is invoking the notwithstanding clause, pre-emptively overriding the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ protections of fundamental right to the collective bargaining process.
In fact, Bill 28 seeks to destroy free collective bargaining and undermine the union by eliminating any hope of challenging the law in court.
This is unprecedented in Canadian history.
This is a serious threat to all workers not only in Ontario but across the country.
CUPE education workers will be in a legal strike position as of tomorrow, Friday, November 4, 2022.
Even if the Ontario government passes Bill 28, these workers and their union will defy the law by picketing.
I encourage all Union of Taxation Employees (UTE) members in Ontario to join them and show our support and solidarity in defending our Charter rights.
TAKE ACTION
Join a picket line tomorrow
Can't make it to a picket line?
Send a letter to Doug Ford and your MPP with CUPE’s online tool.
Organize a rally during a break in front of your workplace with your co-workers.
Take photos and share them on social media using the hashtags #utesupportseducationworkers #cupe
Also send your photos to the attention of our Web/Communications Officer, Susan Duncan, at duncans@ute-sei.org
I also encourage all of our members across the country to show their support and solidarity with Ontario's education workers in their struggle to defend our constitutional rights, but also to support our Sisters, Brothers and Friends in other unions that are already on strike elsewhere in Canada.
In Solidarity,
National President
Union of Taxation Employees