Sara Khan (10) | STAFF REPORTER
The Canadian Union of Public Employees, also known as CUPE, recently went on strike this November. CUPE represents workers in many different fields, but recently the early educators and educational assistants’ union went on strike requesting an 11.7% increase in pay. The provincial government attempted to pass a controversial bill preventing them from striking, which was eventually cancelled to foster future negotiations after backlash. This strike directly affected our school, since we rely on educational assistants for a number of things.
Teachers have a lot of sympathy for those on strike because they go through similar processes when attempting to negotiate for their own salaries. Our school staff works very closely with educational assistants, and the general opinion is that they deserve more pay considering the amount of work they put in. Ms. Provenzano believes that “It was wrong for the government to impose [the bill]. I think it shows that the government was not acting in good faith to try and start a conversation and to negotiate.” The bill is widely considered to be unjust and the consensus seems to be that it was out of line.
The students of St. Robert’s have had their learning disrupted by the strike, having to go briefly online. However their sympathies seem to lie with the members of CUPE, and the blame has been shed upon the government’s decisions. “I thought that their protest was fair because they were not paid appropriately,” says Jessica Kang, a grade ten student. She believes that the bill was “Unjustified, because it’s within their rights to protest for better conditions.” The students seem to believe that the provincial government is responsible for the events following CUPE’s proposal.
As the members of CUPE and the government of Ontario continue to negotiate, it is clear that CUPE has the support of St. Robert’s.
