Conciliatory Premier Doug Ford says government made better offer to lower-paid school workers, doesn’t ‘want to fight’ with CUPE
As students returned to classrooms and mediated contract talks resumed with CUPE on Tuesday, a conciliatory Premier Doug Ford said he had made an improved offer" and doesn't want to fight" any more.
If I have to put some water in my wine, so be it ... I want the kids in class, bottom line," the premier told reporters at Queen's Park.
Ford, who declined to discuss how he had sweetened the offer, called the press conference in order to reiterate that children were back in schools and contract talks are starting up again.
The premier's comments came one day after he promised the Canadian Union of Public Employees that he would repeal his controversial bill overriding Charter rights if the 55,000 strikers would return to schools.
Laura Walton, president of CUPE's Ontario School Board Council of Unions, said Ford's capitulation was a victory for the custodians, office staff, educational assistants and early childhood educators her union represents.
Walton said its negotiators will go in with an open mind, we're going to go in with an open heart" and are expecting an offer from the government because the last pass that we saw was a piece of legislation" that the government has promised to repeal.
It's time for them to get serious," she told the Star prior to bargaining resuming Tuesday morning with the same mediator who was aiding talks prior to the two-day strike.
Having said that, Walton emphasized the government will need to repeal its controversial bill before any deal is signed off on.
Students are back in class today," she said.
People should be back at Queen's Park today ... and (getting a deal) is going to be really difficult because a deal will not be reached until it's gone."
Despite Ford's pledge that lowest-income CUPE members would get heftier raises than other unionized workers, Walton said the union is not interested in any two-tier wage structure.
The government has offered those earning less than $43,000 a 2.5 per cent annual increase, and those earning less a 1.5 per cent increase, and that any boost in pay must be a flat rate as opposed to a percentage.
The union had initially been seeking roughly 11 per cent hikes annually.
When asked about public tolerance for another strike, Walton said people are standing at the ready - not just our workers, but the entire labour movement."
CUPE was criticized in some quarters for not even mentioning students during its opening remarks at Monday's press conference where it accepted the government's offer to call off the strike if the government repealed the legislation.
Walton called it an oversight in the rush of the moment.
I'm going to tell you as a mom, my kids are never far from my mind," she said. We're glad that the kids are going to be back ... at the end of the day, our schools are not stable and normal - kids do not have the services that they need."
Walton was joined at a Sheraton Hotel news conference by more than two dozen union leaders who flew in from across the country to fight Ford's legislation.
It was fear of a general strike next Monday - and the realization that some of the eight private-sector unions that endorsed the Progressive Conservatives in the June 2 election were opposed to his bill - that forced the premier's U-turn.
When the house resumes Monday, Ford will repeal Bill 28, the Keeping Students in Class Act, which had only passed last Thursday.
Hundreds of thousands of students and their parents should saw a return to normal in schools on Tuesday.
Mark Hancock, national president of CUPE, said the premier's concession proved the power of the labour movement, and united it.
They took on the Ford government and the government blinked," said Hancock, who noted both public- and private-sector unions were galvanized by Ford's use of the notwithstanding clause to override their Charter rights.
You can be sure that other Conservative premiers were watching this very closely," warned Lana Payne, president of Unifor, whose members include employees at the Toronto Star.
The plan to repeal the bill renders moot a pending ruling from the province's labour board on the strike by support staff.
The government had asked the Ontario Labour Relations Board to rule that the strike is illegal. A hearing began Thursday evening and continued throughout the weekend, wrapping up Sunday afternoon.
It was only five days ago that the Tories passed the bill pre-emptively banning CUPE's strike and imposing a four-year contract on school staff.
The government claimed the legislation was needed to keep students in classrooms after two-and-a-half years of disruption because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under Bill 28, CUPE members faced individual fines of $4,000 daily and the union $500,000, a tab of $220 million per day.
CUPE received some donations from other unions, but had pledged to fight any fines.
Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @krushowy
Robert Benzie is the Star's Queen's Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie
Rob Ferguson is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @robferguson1