Ontario education workers' union president thinks deal 'falls short' after agreement reached, strike averted

Laura Walton, the president of Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU), representing 55000 Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) education workers, reacted Sunday evening to the union and the government reaching a tentative deal to avert a strike. 

"As a mom, I don't like this deal; as a worker, I don't like this deal; as the president of the OSBCU, I understand why this is the deal that is on the table. I think it falls short, I think it's terrible we live in a world that doesn't see the need to provide services to kids that they need, but we will always put our workers first, we will always put our students first and that's why there will not be a strike tomorrow," Walton said. 

The decision to cancel a provincewide walkout by Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) workers came after weekend talks between the union and Ontario’s provincial government. 

In an update posted to Twitter, CUPE’s bargaining team said it had reached a tentative agreement it would take to its membership. There will be no job action tomorrow,” the update said. 

“Our members will be reporting to schools to continue supporting the students that we are proud to work with.”