'I'm angry': Windsor union reps react to government legislation regarding Ontario education workers

When Darlene Sawchuk, president of CUPE Local 1358, heard representatives had been called back to the table Sunday, she says she thought it might mean an agreement could be reached.

“I feel like our central bargaining team was optimistic, especially when they were called in yesterday, that there would be a recognition of our important work and our right to negotiate,” says Sawchuk.

“And I feel like that’s been trampled on.”

What came instead was word the Ontario government was preparing to table legislation to force a contract on the education support staff who had earlier in the day signalled their intention to strike come Friday.

“I’m angry. I’m upset,” Sawchuk says.

CUPE Local 1358 represents about 500 of those support workers within the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board.

She estimates all of them are feeling those same feelings.

“You know, I think their intent and intentions were clear for a very long time,” she says of the Ford government’s side of the bargaining table.

“And it makes me question their, their genuine desire to negotiate a real collective agreement.”

At a press conference Monday afternoon, CUPE leadership say their workers will be off the job Friday regardless of the legislation. Saying, should it pass, they’ll be out on political protest.

Parents saying they worry about lost class time.

“From a parental standpoint: I think it's good because my child needs to go to school and you know, parents need to work,” one father tells CTV News.

“But, you know, I do believe that they do deserve to get paid and they deserve to definitely go up in cost because they're the ones that keep the schools going.”

“I think that's a great thing,” a mother says of the legislation.

“If they can go back to work, that's where they should be. Kids need school.”

Erin Roy, president of District 9 of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, says her membership is just a few steps behind the support staff in their bargaining.

She says this move on behalf of government causes unease.

“It sends a chill across the entire education sector,” she says.

“We’re all bargaining. The entire sector has been below the cost of living for well over a decade.”

Sawchuk says she isn’t sure what will transpire over the next couple days — but says she expects to the strong emotions to persist.