Joint day of action by Ontario education unions shows the way to fight Ford

Ontario education unions: Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO), Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF), Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA), Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO) and Ontario School Board Council of Unions (CUPE-OBSCU) joined forces for a Day of Action on April 29.
 
In a press release they stated, “Under the banner of ‘Stronger Together,’ the five unions are prepared for the next round of central bargaining and ready to demand more for students from a government that has neglected them since taking office in 2018.

Chronic underfunding continues to shape daily realities in schools, where large class sizes, rising incidents of school violence, insufficient support for students with special education needs, ongoing challenges in retaining and recruiting teachers and education workers, and aging, deteriorating buildings all converge to create significant strain.”

Their demands:

• Reverse the cuts in all schools across Ontario

• Reduce class size & increase Special Education supports

• Reinstate the Model Schools at the TDSB

• Fund our schools based on actual students’ needs

Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) members in Ontario colleges joined the day of action in Peterborough and Cornwall where two colleges – Fleming College in Peterborough and St. Lawrence in Kingston/Cornwall – have been merged.

The merger happened without warning or consultation with faculty and staff. Colleges across Ontario have already faced 12,000 layoffs in the past year and multiple programs and courses have been cut.
 
In the lead up to the day of action one faculty member said, “40% of programs have been cut at St. Lawrence already. This happened behind closed doors. It will harm the quality of education.”

Trent Central Students Association (TCSA) members also joined the Peterborough action and said “Two-thirds of students rely on OSAP. I see doors closing – asking more for less in a system that is already stretched thin”.

Common Front

At the Peterborough action, Dave Berger, ETFO executive board member, said, “The education system has lost $6.5 billion since Ford came to power. The message we are trying to get out is – ‘smaller classes, big difference”. He also stated, “We are going to get through this round of bargaining with a Common Front like they had in Quebec”. This references the public sector unions joining forces in a Common Front to take on austerity measures by the right-wing Francois Legault government in 2023. The Common Front staged eleven strike days and forced a better deal and showed the power of organized workers.

Students kick off the Ford fightback

Students organized by the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario kicked off the push-back against Ford with a strong, militant demonstration on March 4 against OSAP cuts. It was the opening salvo in a series of protests that have been happening across the province in both urban and rural towns. The protests billed as ‘Fighting Ford’ protests have brought together the anger and frustration over multiple issues against Ford’s destruction of public services and attacks on the environment, workers and indigenous rights.

Like the cross-sectoral collaboration between education unions, these demonstrations are a welcome development toward the building of a collective struggle that can beat Ford.