On Thursday 95% of CUPE 4681-02 members voted in favour of strike action following ongoing negotiations with the Northeastern Catholic District School Board (NCDSB).
Since the local certified in 2024, the parties have met at the bargaining table 10 times to negotiate a first collective agreement. Earlier this week, the board filed a no-board report, triggering a 17-day countdown until the employer is in a legal position to lock these education workers out.
CUPE 4681-02 includes about 130 Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs), lunch monitors, and paraprofessionals who voted to unionize almost two years ago in June 2024. These education workers play a vital role in supporting students every single day, often going above and beyond in schools that are already severely understaffed. Over 70 per cent of the CUPE 4681-02 membership participated in the strike vote.
“Our members are deeply committed to the students and families they support,” said Susan Cyr, President of CUPE 4681 and its 02 unit. “They work in understaffed schools and continue to go above and beyond because they care about these children, their learning and their success. They deserve respect, fair working conditions, and an equitable contract — not concessions and threats of a lockout from the employer.”
The school board is pushing proposals that would weaken benefits, reduce leave and vacation entitlements, and cut WSIB top-ups. The employer also proposed changing the current Long-Term Disability plan, which is fully funded by members, with a significantly reduced plan that would shift 90 percent of the cost to the employer while leaving CUPE 4681-02 members with substantially weaker benefits. The employer has refused to guarantee paid prep time for DECEs or include protections against contracting out bargaining unit work to non-union employees.
“These workers do not want to be on strike, and they do not want to be locked out,” said Cyr. “They want to continue supporting students and doing the work they love. But the school board is forcing this situation instead of bargaining a fair collective agreement.”
“Education workers are the backbone of our schools,” said Joe Tigani, President of the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU). “The members of CUPE 4681-02 provide critical support to students every day, despite chronic understaffing and increasing pressures in schools. If these workers are locked out, students will feel the impact immediately. The Northeastern Catholic District School Board needs to stop pushing concessions and start showing these workers the respect they deserve.”
CUPE 4681 is calling on the Northeastern Catholic District School Board to return to the bargaining table prepared to negotiate a fair and equitable agreement that recognizes the important work these education workers do for students and school communities.