NDP: Members of CUPE's OSBCU deserve pay that keeps pace with the rising cost of living

QUEEN’S PARK – During question period Thursday, NDP Labour Critic Jamie West (Sudbury) called on Premier Doug Ford to ensure that members of CUPE's Ontario School Boards Council of Unions (OSBCU) can keep up with the rising cost of affordability by providing them with a pay increase that keeps pace with the increasing cost of living. He asked Ford the following:

“CUPE's Ontario School Boards Council of Unions represents 55,000 education workers. These are early childhood educators, school administration workers, bus drivers, custodians, and maintenance workers. Despite being the backbone of our education system, their pay is so low, that many of these full-time workers have to work part-time jobs just to make ends meet. This is shameful. With their contract set to expire on Aug. 31, will the Conservative government ensure these workers can keep up with the rising cost of affordability and provide them with a pay increase that keeps pace with the rising cost of living?

"With their contract set to expire on Aug. 31, OSBCU workers have been attempting to bargain with the Conservative Government since serving notice on June 3. As the affordability gap between working classes only grows, OSBCU workers, the majority of which are female, are feeling the impacts in their pocketbooks.

“I met with Charity. She told me that, despite working full-time, she regularly goes to food banks to feed her children. Workers like Charity, put their heart, soul, and their health and safety on the line to protect our children and keep our communities safe and running. They should be earning enough to be able to feed their families. All workers deserve dignity. Will the Conservative government commit to a pay increase so that education-workers like Charity don’t have to rely on food banks to feed their families?”