OTTAWA More than 200 union activists representing 50,000 Ontario school board employees are meeting here to plan bargaining strategy in a school system that is still in a state of crisis.
Sid Ryan, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario division, will open the annual conference tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 101 Lyon Street, Ottawa.
The hole carved out of education funding by the Mike Harris government has not been filled by the Liberals, Ryan said. Our members have crushing workloads that are leaving students shortchanged and schools under-cleaned and poorly maintained.
With about half of school board collective agreements open for bargaining this year, work-to-rule action at the Toronto District School Board and a strike at the Grand Erie board about to enter its second week, workers will have to look at whether escalating action is needed to get the provincial government moving on changes to the funding formula, he said.
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WHO:
Sid Ryan, President, CUPE Ontario -
WHAT:
Opening remarks at Ontario school board workers conference -
WHEN:
7:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 13, 2005 -
WHERE:
Crowne Plaza Hotel, 101 Lyon Street, Ottawa
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For more information, contact:
Sid Ryan, President, CUPE Ontario, 416-209-0066 (cell)
Pat Daley, CUPE Communications, 416-616-6142 (cell)