CUPE 3166 and the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) strongly condemn the Halton Catholic District School Board’s decision to move ahead with significant staffing cuts despite longstanding concerns about understaffing and increasing workload pressures across the Board.
The Board recently notified the Local that it plans to eliminate 10 positions across CUPE 3166’s two bargaining units, including seven board office positions and three maintenance trades positions, following the end of the school year.
CUPE 3166 represents approximately 450 full-time, part-time, and supply education workers, including clerical, technical, custodial, and maintenance workers at the Halton Catholic District School Board.
“These cuts come at a time when many of our members are already stretched to their limits,” said Karen Gike, President of CUPE 3166. “Some of our elementary schools have just one office employee supporting hundreds of students, staff, and families, sometimes working only two or three days a week. Eliminating positions will only increase workloads and make it even harder to provide the support our schools rely on.”
The Local has repeatedly raised concerns about staffing shortages throughout the Board. An analysis of provincial staffing funding formulas shows that the Halton Catholic District School Board employs significantly fewer school office staff than the funding generated through student enrolment would support. Student enrolment is also projected to increase by approximately 1.4% next school year, placing additional pressure on already understaffed schools.
Three of the eliminated positions are vacant maintenance trades positions. CUPE 3166 says the work has not disappeared. Instead, the Board has struggled to recruit qualified Red Seal trades workers at the wages being offered while continuing to contract out maintenance work.
“These staffing reductions don’t address the real problem,” said Gike. “Our members have been doing more with less for years. The Board should be investing in frontline education workers, not reducing the supports that students, families, and school communities depend on.”
The OSBCU says these cuts reflect a broader pattern driven by chronic underfunding of education in Ontario since 2018.
“What we’re seeing at Halton Catholic District School Board is part of a broader pattern, where education workers are being asked to pay the price for underfunding,” said Joe Tigani, President of the OSBCU. “These are the people who support students with special needs, maintain safe schools and ensure schools function every day. Cutting these workers hurts everyone.”
CUPE 3166 and the OSBCU are calling on the province to properly fund education and on the Halton Catholic District School Board to immediately reverse these job cuts.
“Students deserve safe, supported learning environments,” Tigani said. “That starts with investing in the workers who make that possible. The OSBCU stands behind CUPE 3166 members as they fight back. We are united in defending good jobs, protecting vital services, and pushing back against a system that continues to undervalue education workers and the students they serve.”
