CUPE 4681 and the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) strongly condemn the Northeastern Catholic District School Board’s decision to move ahead with staffing reductions, warning that cuts will reduce supports for students and place additional pressure on education workers.
The Board recently notified CUPE 4681 that 13 support staff positions will be eliminated for the 2026–27 school year. This includes 10 full-time Education Assistant (EA) positions, two Early Childhood Educator (ECE) positions, and one secretary position for the Manager of Plant. The EA and ECE reductions affect 10 of the Board’s 12 schools, with two schools also losing their Early Childhood Educator positions.
CUPE 4681 represents approximately 269 full-time, part-time, and casual education workers, including education assistants, early childhood educators, custodians, maintenance workers, secretaries, clerical staff, and other education support professionals at the Northeastern Catholic District School Board.
“These staffing reductions will have a significant impact on our members, our schools, and the students who rely on education support services every day,” said Susan Cyr, President of CUPE 4681. “Fewer frontline staff means increased workloads, reduced supports for students, and additional pressure across our schools. We will continue to hold the Board accountable and advocate for the staffing levels our schools and students deserve.”
The Board has cited declining enrolment and staffing allocations as the reasons for the reductions. At the same time, the Board reported an overall enrolment decline of approximately 3.3 per cent and that the Board received an overall funding increase of approximately $1.2 million, despite a reduction of nearly $700,000 in operating grant funding, raising further questions about the rationale for these staffing reductions.
The OSBCU says these cuts reflect a broader pattern driven by chronic underfunding of education in Ontario since 2018.
“What we’re seeing at Northeastern 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 4681 and the OSBCU are calling on the province to properly fund education and on the Northeastern 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 4681 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.”
