Education workers in London rally outside labour minister's meeting

Education workers and supporters in London were on the picket lines Friday for the first day of an indefinite strike that the province is calling illegal.

Some 55,000 CUPE members across Ontario are off the job forcing many school boards, including both the public and Catholic boards in London, to cancel classes. 

The education assistants, custodians, secretaries and early childhood educators gathered in the hundreds early in the morning outside of MPP Peggy Sattler's office, as the city has no conservative representatives. 

Later, a group met outside the Ramada Inn on Exeter Road where Labour Minister Monte McNaughton was giving a speech to local conservative supporters.

"We love our jobs. We are dedicated to our jobs. In order to serve the children, you need us," said CUPE Local 4222 President Mary Henry. 

In a statement issued early Friday, the province said it has already filed a submission to the Ontario Labour Relations Board in response to the "illegal strike action."

Education Minister Stephen Lecce reiterated that the government "will use every tool available" to get students back in classrooms.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) said today that its 8,000 education workers will also be off the job Friday in solidarity with their CUPE counterparts.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF), who are both in negotiations with the government, said they had no similar solidarity walkout plans but were encouraging members to join CUPE picket lines before and after work.

The Progressive Conservative government enacted Bill 28 Thursday, a law that imposed contracts on union members and banned them from striking.

The law also uses the notwithstanding clause to protect against constitutional challenges — a legal mechanism that has only been used twice in Ontario's history, both times by the governments of Premier Doug Ford.

But CUPE says the law is an attack on all workers' bargaining rights and is staging a strike anyway, warning that it will likely last longer than one day.

The government originally offered raises of two per cent a year for workers making less than $40,000 and 1.25 per cent for all others, but says the new, imposed four-year deal would give 2.5 per cent annual raises to workers making less than $43,000 and 1.5 per cent raises for all others.

The Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB), the largest in the region, has not said yet how it will proceed Monday if strike action continues. It has said teachers will do their best to provide students with online work on Friday.