‘Don’t force my hand’: Ford won’t rule out back-to-work order should educators strike

Premier Doug Ford pleaded with education workers not to go on strike while refusing to say if he would use back-to-work legislation should they walk out.

The premier’s comments come as talks between the government and CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) resumed on Thursday.

Union members – which includes 55,000 librarians, custodians, and administration staff across the province – recently voted 96.5 per cent in favour of a strike mandate; however, officials contend a strike is not their first option. Any actual strike is at least three weeks away.

The union has asked for annual wage increases of $3.25 per hour — or 11.7 per cent – to help address the increase in inflation, as well as minimum staffing requirements, a designated Early Childhood Educator for every kindergarten class, and $100 million to create between 1,500 and 1,700 new jobs.

The Ford government has offered to give education workers who make less than $40,000 raises of two per cent a year and 1.25 per cent for everyone else in a proposed four-year deal.

CUPE has said the government’s offer amounts to an extra $800 a year for the average worker.

RELATED: Ontario education workers vote in favour of strike mandate

When asked if his government was willing to show flexibility on its latest wage offer, Ford said he was confident they would get a “fair deal” for both the teachers and the people of Ontario.

“We’re not going to budge on the fact that we want the kids in the classroom without disruption,” said Ford.

Ford would not rule out legislating education workers back to work should they walk out.

“Please do not go on strike, don’t force my hand,” said Ford. “Continue negotiating …but do not go on strike.”

When asked if that was an ultimatum, Ford reiterated that the current deal on the table is a good one, and he is not interested in revisiting the past two years when kids were not in school due to the pandemic.

“I think we’re being very fair,” Ford said. “Teacher’s unions, they want 50 per cent – everyone knows that’s not realistic. But we’re going to negotiate fairly, treat everyone fairly and give the kids an opportunity to stay in school without interruptions.”

CUPE-OSBCU president Laura Walton says the union’s proposals are “reasonable, necessary, and affordable.”

“Doug Ford has the power and resources to accept our proposals today,” she said in a statement on Thursday. “If he does that, the lowest paid education workers who are paid on average only $39,000 a year won’t have to strike to make ends meet and to defend services for students from Ford’s cuts.”

CUPE has bargaining dates scheduled with the government on Thursday, Friday, and Oct. 17 and 18.

The province’s five major education unions are all in the midst of contract talks with the government after their deals all expired on Aug. 31.