As school boards are being re-structured in Ontario and union locals are being forced to amalgamate school board workers are choosing CUPE to represent them.
On Thursday, May 14, the support staff of the new District of Niagara school board voted 80 per cent in favour of having CUPE as their union. The employees include teaching assistants, librarians and maintenance workers and some non-union workers. There were 725 employees eligible to vote. The vote was 472 for CUPE and 123 for the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF). The employees will be members of Local 1317. The National Representative working with the local is Dan MacLean.
Meanwhile, the employees working for the Lambton and Kent District school board have also choosen CUPE as their union. They include all the non-teaching staff of the board, including some non-unionized staff. The employees will be members of Local 1238. The National Representative working with the local is Laura Moore.
As well, the employees of the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board have voted for CUPE. The vote was 31 for CUPE and 10 for the Office and Professional Employees Union (OPEIU).