Why these Ontario educational assistants believe they deserve a raise and will strike if they don't get it

Educational assistants (EAs) say they're prepared to strike if the Ontario government isn't willing to give them a big pay boost in this current round of negotiations.

"Many of my co-workers have second jobs," said Sherrie-Lee Price, an EA at Clarke Road Secondary School in London, Ont. "If we don't get a fair deal this time, I'm going to be looking for a second job as well."

EAs are among the 55,000 Ontario school workers with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) who this week voted 96.5 per cent in favour of a strike. Other workers include library and office staff, early childhood educators and custodians. All Ontario education contracts expired Aug. 31.

On average, Ontario's front-line education workers make $39,000 a year.

The union returned to the bargaining table with the province on Thursday.

"We're more frequently short staffed and doing the job of two or three people in a day," said Price, who has worked as an EA for 14 years. "I've seen the escalation of behaviours and violence go up in the classroom with less support in place."

CUPE is asking the government for a $3.25 hourly wage increase for all workers. 

"Within 10 years, we have fallen behind the living wage," said Price.

The government has offered raises of two per cent a year for workers making less than $40,000 and 1.25 per cent for all others, while CUPE is looking for annual increases of 11.7 per cent.

"As CUPE moves ahead towards a strike that hurts kids and disrupts families — leaving behind a reasonable offer that also protects the most generous benefits and pension plan in the country — we will continue to remain at the table to make sure kids stay in class without interruption right through to June," Lecce said this week in a statement to CBC Toronto.

The union has said the government's offer amounts to an extra $800 a year for the average worker.

"Education workers in Ontario have had their pay capped for the better part of a decade, so given inflation, that amounts to an 11 per cent cut over the last 10 years." Larry Savage, a labour studies professor at Brock University, told CBC News this week.

"So really, this round of bargaining is a catch-up round."

The government has noted CUPE is also asking for five additional paid days before the start of the school year, 30 minutes of paid preparation time each day, and increasing overtime pay from a multiplier of 1.5 to 2.