NDP’s West advocating for students by going to bat for education workers

QUEEN’S PARK – NDP Labour Critic Jamie West (Sudbury) has spent the week at Queen’s Park advocating for a fair negotiated deal for education workers so they can afford to keep supporting local students. West was one of 16 NDP MPPs asked to leave the legislature Wednesday as he turned up the pressure on the Ford government to respect education workers instead of bullying them and chasing them out of the education sector.

West has been sharing the stories of local education ​support workers ​that students in Sudbury depend on. Charity is a full-time worker who earns so little she is forced to use food banks to feed her family. Daniel Rancourt works 12-hour days, five days a week, and ​still finds it challenging to afford the medical expenses for his son with type 1 diabetes.

“Education support workers like Charity and Daniel are the reason all our kids can go to school and learn in a safe, clean, supportive environment,” said West. “Education ​support workers deserve better than a bullying government that aims to keep them living in poverty. No worker should have to use food banks or be unable to pay for their child’s medical expenses. And all our kids will pay the price if the caring adults in our classrooms have to leave the profession.”

The Ontario NDP has been calling on the Ford government to immediately scrap the harmful bill imposing a contract on education ​support workers and taking away their right to strike. West said the bill sets an unacceptable precedent for worker’s rights in this province and puts kids in the path of even more disruption after a difficult few years.

“Mr. Ford and Mr. Lecce have the power to prevent disruption in schools and ensure Ontario kids don’t lose the valuable support ​these workers provide in the classroom,” said West. “These amazing support workers are the childhood educators, custodians, and librarians who provide constant support for our teachers and students every single day. They sit with our kids when they get sick and provide help for students who need extra care. Our schools simply cannot function without their support”.