CUPE 1453 and the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) strongly condemn the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board’s decision to move ahead with staffing cuts despite growing enrolment, increased funding, and ongoing staffing pressures across the Board.
The Board recently notified CUPE 1453 that 27 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions will be reduced for the 2026–27 school year, including 26.5 Educational Assistant (EA) positions, two Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) positions, and 0.25 secretarial positions.
CUPE 1453 represents approximately 950 education workers at the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, including educational assistants, early childhood educators, secretarial staff, custodians, maintenance workers, IT, learning commons, and professional staff.
“These cuts are creating unnecessary stress and uncertainty for our members,” said Nora Shaughnessy, President of CUPE 1453. “EAs are going into the summer not knowing if they will have jobs to return to in September. These are dedicated education workers who support students every day, and they should not be left spending the summer worrying about their future.”
The cuts come despite the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board projecting enrolment growth of 2.2 per cent for the 2026–27 school year. Funding for the Board is also projected to increase by 3.7 per cent, which is well above the provincial average.
The Board is also projecting an increase of 78 kindergarten students, which should require approximately 3 additional full-time DECE positions next year. Instead, three ECE positions are currently being reduced.
The staffing reductions come as the Board prepares to announce an $11.4 million investment for a school addition, raising further questions about why frontline education workers are facing uncertainty at a time when the Board is experiencing enrolment and funding growth.
The OSBCU says these cuts reflect a broader pattern driven by chronic underfunding of education in Ontario since 2018.
“What we’re seeing at Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington 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 1453 and the OSBCU are calling on the province to properly fund education and on the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington 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 1453 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.”
