Educational assistants (EAs) from both the Niagara catholic and separate school boards, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), along with CUPE Ontario president Sid Ryan, held a media conference in Niagara Falls on Thursday, April 19, 2007, to release the findings of a CUPE survey of EA working conditions.
click here for survey results

[Apr 24, 2007 11:14 AM]

When it comes to acknowledging the contribution school custodians, secretaries, technicians and educational assistants (EAs) make in our schools, Premier Dalton McGuinty seems terminally afflicted with foot-in-mouth syndrome.
The Toronto Sun - Mon 23 Apr 2007
Byline: BY SID RYAN

[Apr 23, 2007 02:40 PM]

At an impasse; custodians, trades workers take strike vote
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – With no new funding relief for school support services announced in last week’s Ontario budget and a pro-cuts provincial supervisor hovering over contract negotiations between custodians and trades workers and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB), the tense talks reached an impasse this week.

[Mar 29, 2007 12:35 PM]

Click to lisen to the radio ad. [Mar 29, 2007 11:10 AM]

Encore une fois, le gouvernement McGuinty a étouffé tout espoir pour les travailleurs de soutien en éducation qui pensaient que les lacunes de la formule de financement pourraient être corrigées pendant son mandat. Aujourd’hui, le gouvernement a annoncé des subventions pour les conseils scolaires qui incluent une hausse impressionnante de 781 millions de dollars (4,5 %) par rapport à l’allocation de l’an dernier. Mais presque rien de ce montant ne servira à corriger les problèmes chroniques qui ont des effets tant sur les conditions de travail du personnel de soutien que sur le milieu d’apprentissage des élèves. [Mar 28, 2007 12:38 PM]

Once again the McGuinty government has deflated the hopes that education support workers might have had that the funding formula flaws would be addressed during his term in office. While today’s announcement of grants for school boards included an impressive $781 million increase (4.5%) over last year’s allocation, virtually none of it will go toward correcting chronic problems in the system that affect support staff working conditions as well as student learning environments. [Mar 28, 2007 12:14 PM]

TORONTO, Ont. – Today’s education funding announcement from the McGuinty government will continue to short-change school operations and support staff, and do nothing to quell rising labour unrest, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario division. [Mar 19, 2007 04:06 PM]

School support workers, represented by CUPE and OSSTF (Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation), have given their respective provincial leadership a resounding mandate to work together to secure fair provincial funding for school support services. [Mar 1, 2007 03:08 PM]

[Jan 17, 2007 01:04 PM]

Trustees uneasy over growing union influence

Trustee John Campbell misses the whole point of participatory democracy. We at the Canadian Union of Public Employees are proud of our role in assisting the Campaign for Public Education (CPE) and other advocacy groups to have their voices and their perspectives heard.

Toronto Star - Thursday October 26, 2006 [Oct 26, 2006 01:29 PM]

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – Area school board support workers say they intend to launch a fightback against a provincial education funding formula that disproportionately targets cuts to hundreds of secretaries, custodians, technical staff, and education assistants, and they are attending an emergency meeting in Toronto today to plan their strategy. [Oct 25, 2006 03:56 PM]

LONDON, Ont. – Area school board support workers say they intend to launch a fightback against a provincial education funding formula that disproportionately targets cuts to hundreds of secretaries, custodians, technical staff, and education assistants, and they are attending an emergency meeting in Toronto today to plan their strategy. [Oct 25, 2006 03:49 PM]

KENORA, Ont. – Area school board support workers say they intend to launch a fightback against a provincial education funding formula that disproportionately targets cuts to hundreds of secretaries, custodians, technical staff, and education assistants, and they are attending an emergency meeting in Toronto today to plan their strategy. [Oct 25, 2006 03:42 PM]

BELLEVILLE, Ont. – Area school board support workers say they intend to launch a fightback against a provincial education funding formula that disproportionately targets cuts to hundreds of secretaries, custodians, technical staff, and education assistants, and they are attending an emergency meeting in Toronto today to plan their strategy.

[Oct 25, 2006 03:39 PM]

Local education support workers attend Toronto emergency meeting to plan fightback actions

KINGSTON, Ont. – Area school board support workers say they intend to launch a fightback against a provincial education funding formula that disproportionately targets cuts to hundreds of secretaries, custodians, technical staff, and education assistants, and they are attending an emergency meeting in Toronto today to plan their strategy. [Oct 24, 2006 01:09 PM]

TORONTO, Ont. – Ontario school boards will be in the throes of a widespread financial crisis by the end of the current school year, a data report released today has found. With too little provincial money to meet basic operating costs and to respond to local needs, school boards province-wide will be faced with the only option available to them to meet balanced budget legislation in 2007-2008: massive program and staff cuts.How Ontario School Boards Are Balancing Budgets in 2006-07 * [Oct 23, 2006 12:41 PM]

Mississauga, ONT: Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board technical, clerical, secretarial, custodial and trades workers who are the targets of provincial education budget cuts are putting the McGuinty government on notice that sending in the provincially-imposed supervisor to upcoming contract negotiations will destabilize the bargaining relationship and possibly trigger labour unrest at the school board. [Oct 18, 2006 12:48 PM]

The McGuinty Liberals refusal to provide a fair funding formula for education in Ontario has lead to a number of issues and problems. However, there are success stories too. The Educational and instructional assistants at the Thames Valley District School Board, CUPE 4222 were forced to go on strike to defend the work they provide to the studnets. Supported by parents who walked the picket line with them they eventually won the battle. After 22 days, the local achieved a new contract with 30 minutes of additional time with students. They obtained language in their contract that will ensure they receive paid personal development days, if the Ontario government mandates additional PD days for teachers. The fight for a fair funding formula and a stop to futher reductions in services to students is being fought across the province. The Dufferin-Peel Board has taken a stand and refused to make cuts to balance a budget that is not sufficiant to meet their needs. [Oct 6, 2006 05:21 PM]

Toronto, Ont. – The jobs of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of support staff across Ontario are on the chopping block, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) representing more than 45,000 school support workers province-wide.

[Oct 6, 2006 01:43 PM]