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THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2001 Bill 13....CUPE Local 4400 legislated back to work by the Harris Government. The Tory government continues to attack our education system, last year with Bill 74 and now with Bill 13. Bill 13 is the recent draconian back to work legislation against CUPE Local 4400. In the past three years, all the educational workers in the TDSB have had to take some form of action against the Harris government and their immediate employer, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), whether working to rule or going out on strike to protect their basic rights as workers. Parents, students and educational workers have had to endure endless instability and uncertainty because the Harris government has a very clear agenda--- create a crisis in public education and proceed to undermine and destroy confidence in the system! It is in this highly charged political context that after four long weeks, the members of CUPE Local 4400 were legislated back to work by the Harris government. We need to be clear on what this strike was all about. Like all strikes, CUPE Local 4400 was involved in a major struggle to have workplace dignity and economic justice. Let's look at a number of key points:
This strike will be remembered for many years to come because it symbolizes how the Harris government and the majority of the TDSB trustees regard their educational workers. In spite of the rhetoric of the trustees and the school administrators that they value CUPE Local 4400 members and care about the quality of working conditions for all their employees, it became very clear this was not the case. TDSB had no intention of bargaining in good faith. The right wing trustees and the Harris appointed administrators wanted to drag out this strike to advance the Harris education agenda. We all know what that agenda is all about--disrupting the public school system, starving it of funds and forcing parents to take their children out of the system. This strike raises other concerns and valuable lessons. This Labour Council worked with CUPE Local 4400 and parents' groups to make sure the centre / left trustees held firm in the face of this tough battle. As this was not the case, we now have to express our reaction to what they have done. In spite of intense lobbying, there were several trustees--Ferreira, Ling and Mankovsky --some of whom who were recommended in the last election for support, who did not fully support CUPE Local 4400 during the strike. We urged them to act responsibly and negotiate a just deal with CUPE Local 4400. In the case of the ONDP caucus, it was inexcusable they did not monitor the Tories more closely at Queens Park. While they performed aggressively in third reading debate on Bill 13 on Friday April 27th (this was the only day devoted to debate), their actions caused CUPE Local 4400 to lose several valuable days which could have made a difference in how this strike ended. The ONDP caucus and CUPE Local 4400 are going to have to deal with this situation and see how they can repair the damage. And what of Dalton McGunity and the Liberals who supported Bill 13--the great defenders of educational workers and public education? We all know we have a crisis in public education across Ontario and it has been created by the Harris government. The Premier's recent comments about banning the rights of educational workers to have the right to strike indicates where he is headed and what this will mean for public education. This Labour Council must remain firm in its resolve in supporting our educational affiliates in the days and months to come as they battle this government. Much is at stake! The Executive Board recommends:
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