$39,000 is Not Enough, for Education Workers or Anyone

The 39000isnotenough.ca website is made for parents and members of the public. So please share it with your family, friends, and neighbours.

$39,000 is Not Enough, for Education Workers or Anyone

$39,000 is Not Enough, for Education Workers or Anyone

As most families prepare for kids to go back to school next week and with pressure on parents to spend even more out of their own pockets on everything from school supplies to food and rent, you and your 55,000 coworkers are continuing to use the negotiations for your next collective agreement to secure more resources for students, families, and each other.

Your bargaining proposals for Student Success and Good Jobs include a reasonable, necessary, and affordable wage increase of $3.25 per hour that will help retain and recruit education workers to give children what they need in the classroom and pull us back from the brink of poverty.

Listen to your union’s new radio advertisement, below, and watch videos of some of your co-workers talking about their experiences in their own words on 39000isnotenough.ca

The 39000isnotenough.ca website is made for parents and members of the public. So please share it with your family, friends, and neighbours.

Listen to the radio ad

Sign the petition

Watch our members explain their experiences

Holly Buffalo Rodrique, Chief Custodian

Holly Buffalo Rodrique is a chief custodian in Timmins, Ontario. She ensures cleaning supplies are stocked, classrooms are clean, and it’s safe for children to be in the school yard. Holly takes care of our children and our community. Now it’s time for us to take care of her. Inflation has made it difficult for custodians like Holly to pay bills on time and make ends meet. Our education workers need livable wages today, so we can all protect the students of tomorrow.

Debbie Popovic, School Librarian

Debbie Popovic is an elementary school librarian who works with over 550 students in her school every week. For many students, being in the library and working with Debbie is their favorite thing to do at school. But as student populations grow and schools face devastating budget cuts, librarians like Debbie are struggling to keep up with the work — and their bills. We all want the best education for our kids, and it starts with livable wages for our librarians.

Kristine Hamilton, Educational Assistant

Kristine Hamilton is an educational assistant in an elementary school. She works with high needs students who may be vulnerable to crisis, may be new to school or even new to the country. The students she works with need more help and, between budget cuts and inflation, there’s not enough money to go around.