Justice for Educational Workers

 

This morning our two public school age grandchildren got on the bus for a day of in-class learning. They go to a French Catholic school on a military base which means that their school is not affected by the strike by 55,000 education workers in school boards which are part of the the general education system in the province. Our grandkids are certainly in the minority in the province.

 I consider this a legal strike falsely made illegal by the Conservative government's misuse of the notwithstanding clause to override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The clause was not created to allow governments to deny fundamental rights to their citizens. including the right to collective bargaining and legal strike action.

I find this choice by the Ontario government to be deeply disturbing on a number of levels. We should all respect the defensible rule of law, not the unprecedented actions of a "might makes right" majority of legislators. I am appalled that the ruling party recently gave raises of $16 thousand a year to dozens of Members of Provincial Parliament, which amounts to about 15%. Yet they decry the request of the union for the support workers for an 11% increase even though those employees have less earning power than a decade ago because of wage freezes or tiny increases. Now they are threatening huge fines levied on both the union and the individual workers if they don't meekly go back to work. I am infuriated that this government attempted to buy our votes earlier this year by rebating vehicle license fees to the tune of billions of dollars, but claims it has has no money to pay fair wages to educational workers. 

For several years now the United Church has been a thoughtful voice on the subject of a Guaranteed Livable Income for the financially vulnerable in society. This is consistent with our sense of a gospel of justice for all. Surely this Christian principle applies to those who are gainfully employed yet inadequately paid.

 I listened to a woman who is a custodian in a Toronto area school. Her salary is not sufficient to support her family so she works two other part-time jobs, including as a personal support worker on weekends. The interviewer asked if she works seven days a week, and she said, matter of factly, that she did. She stays in touch with her children by texting and calling because she has so little time at home. There is no sabbath for her, no time for restoration or recreation. This is a sin. 

If there is no swift resolution to this injustice we can put our prayer into action by contacting our MPPs and expressing our concerns.