Dear Community,
On Wednesday, the Conservative government imposed a contract on Ontario education workers with a pitiful increase that still leaves these workers that do so much for Ontario's children earning poverty wages.
Rather than negotiating in good faith, the Conservatives are threatening to fine workers and their unions millions of dollars if they don't accept this contract and go back to work.
The Conservatives say that they only care about keeping kids in the classroom. They say that they care a lot - but apparently not enough to spend any more money on these workers, of course.
But they do care. They care enough to ignore the right to strike recognized by the Supreme Court and pass the most extreme anti-worker legislation seen in this country in years at the drop of a hat.
Doug Ford and Stephen Lecce didn't listen to us in Queen's Park on Wednesday. Nor did they listen to union leaders like Laura Walton or Fred Hahn when they wanted to negotiate a living wage for their members.
So today, we went back to Queen's Park with a few thousand friends while people all over Ontario picketed MPP's offices and other public buildings to make their voices heard.
I was honoured to stand with workers, my NDP colleagues, members of the Toronto—St. Paul's community, against this unprecedented attack on schools, workers, and children. Doug Ford and Stephen Lecce might not listen, but we all know they heard us.
This week is a reminder that politics doesn't only happen every four years. This is a fight that we need to keep fighting. We have to stand up for what's right and work towards a government that really serves the people of Ontario.
Ford and Lecce think that the province is going to turn its back on education workers. They are wrong.
We're fighting back.
We will not back down.
We're going to WIN.
Click here to see me talking to Brandon Gonez about the protest today.
Here is a quick round-up of some stories about today's protests:
Please sign the petition on my website calling for action from the Ford government.
Click here to sign the petition.
You can find out more about CUPE's campaign by clicking here.
In Solidarity,
Jill Andrew
Toronto-St. Paul's
