Unions representing over 2,000 education support workers within the Algonquin Catholic District School Board (ALCDSB) and Limestone District School Board (LDSB) are asking the Ontario government to come to the bargaining table sooner than planned.
While collective bargaining with the province is currently set to begin in June, the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU), CUPE 1479 and CUPE 1480, released a joint statement on Monday urging the Ford government and education minister Paul Calandra to move those talks up in the calendar amidst what they call an ongoing staffing crisis.
“There can be no ‘business as usual’ while education workers and students bear the brunt of chronic underfunding,” said Joe Tigani, President of the OSBCU.
“Early bargaining is critical to stabilizing our schools and addressing the staffing crisis before it becomes even more severe.”
CUPE says locals have been warned that thousands of education workers could be laid off in September 2026 after the current collective agreement expires in August, and early bargaining will give the unions a chance to give their members more clarity and stability for the upcoming school year.
Brenda Price, President of CUPE 1480, said the result of bargaining as currently scheduled in June is likely to leave staff and families scrambling.
The unions are hoping to kick off bargaining in late March or April instead.
“Early bargaining gives students, parents and education workers more time to prepare,” Price said.
“Waiting to the last minute only creates chaos and instability in our schools and families shouldn’t be left guessing all summer about staffing.”
Price says support workers are understaffed and feeling burnt out and unsure how they’re going to make it to the end of the school year, saying many are being “attacked daily”.
She says education staff all over Ontario are facing violence on a consistent basis in schools, and it’s getting worse due to the province’s underfunding of education.
“it’s not really the student’s fault, it’s directly caused by students not getting the one-on-one support that they deserve,” Price said.
“It’s getting worse each year because there’s lack of funding more and more each year.”
A workplace survey previously shared by OBSCU showed an overwhelming number of respondents concerned about violence in the classroom, and staffing levels that aren’t helping the problem.
Price said the unions want more support staff in classrooms in order to de-escalate violence from students before it starts.
The union did not provide details as to what specific increases they will seek from the province.
Emm Testani, Press Secretary for Minister Paul Calandra, shared the following statement regarding the request for early bargaining.
“The Labour Relations Act allows for unions or employers to file notice to bargain 90 days prior to the expiry of the collective agreement, which is a reasonable period to get to a fair agreement prior to the expiry. The collective agreements expire Aug 31, which means bargaining could commence in June,” Testani’s statement reads.
The unions seeking bargaining, however, say Calandra can issue a regulation to allow bargaining to open up to 180 days before the end of the current collective agreement, which could see talks kicking off within the next month rather than June.
