Sudbury Catholic District School Board workers are joining CUPE after a successful majority vote and certification at the Ontario Labour Board. The approximately 270 new CUPE members at Sudbury’s Catholic District School Board include Educational Assistants, Early Childhood Educators, administrative assistants, social workers, speech pathologists, chaplaincy leads and more.
“I am thrilled that we are finally unionized at Sudbury Catholic and can join the majority of unionized education workers in Ontario as CUPE members,” said Rob Pappin, one of three Chaplaincy leads with the school board. “One of our main concerns has to do with there not being enough staff to support students. We are looking forward to negotiating a first collective agreement that improves both working and learning conditions at Sudbury Catholic for workers and students alike.
The announcement comes after several months of organizing co-workers across multiple schools. Workers highlighted various workplace issues they want to address during the campaign, including staffing and other issues related to working and learning conditions, health and safety concerns and job security. The new unit includes Educational Assistants, Early Childhood Educators, administrative assistants, paraprofessionals, and supply workers.