A union representing education workers has accused the minister of education of "whipping up the crowd" as both sides search for a fair deal.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)– which represents 55,000 education workers, including early childhood educators, educational assistants, and custodial staff – has taken the “provocative step” of discussing strike votes at an upcoming meeting on August 22.
CUPE counters it is Lecce “jumping the gun.”
Laura Walton, who sits on the union bargaining committee, says the minister is “whipping up the crowd around whether school was going to be there in September, I will be clear, we will be at work.”
The union is seeking a pay increase of 11.7 percent – or $3.25 per hourؙ – arguing wages have been stagnant for years under both Liberal and Progressive Conservative governments.
“For most workers, for myself for instance, it would mean the difference of making $36,000 vs $40,000 a year – there is not a single worker who is going to get rich."
Lecce says the government is open to a fair deal, but the union is asking for too much.
“The entire budget of Saskatchewan is less than this ask,” he said in an interview with CP24 on Friday.
Caught in the middle are parents and children.
“I would be very upset,” said parent Melinda Takacs. “Of course, I just want the kids to be in school and I want them to learn.”
Others are feeling the crunch as rising inflation eats into their standard of living.
“It’s a tough time for everyone, so who am I to say they don’t deserve it,” said Derek McPherson.
One year after Kabul fell to the Taliban following the full military withdrawal of U.S. troops, a charity that helps resettle LGBTQ2S+ refugees says more than 5,500 LGBTQ2S+ people desperate to escape Afghanistan have reached out to them.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says some premiers are not being honest about the effect of Ottawa's carbon tax.
A Brampton, Ont. media personality who was brutally attacked with a machete and axe in the driveway of his home has spoken out for the first time since he was ambushed.
The federal government's luxury goods tax came into effect on Sept. 1, targeting luxury cars, private jets and yachts. CTVNews.ca breaks down key details of the tax and how industry groups are reacting.
Health Canada has authorized the use of the country's first variant-targeting COVID-19 booster shot, marking what health officials are calling a 'milestone' in Canada's pandemic response. The Spikevax bivalent dose is an adapted version of the original Moderna mRNA vaccine, and targets both the original strain of COVID-19 as well as the Omicron variant. The first delivery of doses will arrive on Friday.
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says Canada is lagging behind other countries when it comes to booster dose uptake, and is imploring those who haven't received a third dose to do so ahead of what may be a 'challenging' fall.
York Region public health has alerted the public not to consume two products linked to a food poisoning investigation after 12 diners who ate at a Markham, Ont., restaurant last weekend became seriously ill.
A Canadian company has unveiled plans for a fully electric train-style vehicle which could travel at 1,000 kilometres per hour and, it claims, would cost less than a plane ticket to travel on.
Pierre Poilievre is promising to enact what he calls the 'Plain Language Law,' which he says would bring an end to government jargon, including in legislative documents.
A man who was videotaped hurling racial slurs toward a Montreal couple and then intimidating a CTV Montreal journalist who was covering the story in LaSalle last month has been arrested.
Singer-songwriter Feist has quit Arcade Fire's current tour after sexual misconduct allegations against the band's singer Win Butler surfaced in recent days.
Quebec appears to be exceptionally unpopular among Canadians polled by Leger Canada who, when asked which province is their least favourite outside their own, put Quebec at the top of the list.
Brose North America is downsizing its London, Ont. facility — resulting in the elimination of more than 300 jobs.
Santa's House is on the move. After lengthy delays, the staple of the holiday season is finally being moved from Victoria Park to its permanent home at Covent Garden Market.
Ontario has scrapped its mandatory five-day isolation rule for people who test positive for COVID-19. In response to the new changes, MLHU Medical Officer of Health Dr. Alex Summers says, “If you are sick, stay home, and that needs to be the key message for us as we head into the fall.”
Flags at the community complex in Ayr, Ont. have been lowered to half-mast after the sudden death of a 20-year-old hockey player during a game.
Waterloo regional police are warning the public to watch out for an “emerging” used car scam which has resulted in at least one Kitchener resident losing $6,500.
It’s move-in day for some students at the University of Waterloo as post-secondary institutions across the province welcome back students for the autumn semester.
Police have identified the two victims who drowned when a canoe capsized in northeastern Ontario after finding the missing second body.
Millions of dollars have been raised for northern Ontario hospitals through monthly 50-50 cash lottery draws as August winners announced.
Because of an adverse water sample reported Thursday, Public Health Sudbury & Districts has issued a boil water advisory effective immediately for all residents of the Town of Killarney.
Mark Sutcliffe would hire more police officers, open a new station in the ByWard Market and push to install CCTV cameras in an effort to deter crime, the mayoral candidate said Thursday.
Investigators will be in Ottawa's southwest end on Thursday to investigate damage caused by a "supercell/funnel cloud" during the severe weather that moved across the region.
Health Canada has authorized the use of the country's first variant-targeting COVID-19 booster shot, marking what health officials are calling a 'milestone' in Canada's pandemic response. The Spikevax bivalent dose is an adapted version of the original Moderna mRNA vaccine, and targets both the original strain of COVID-19 as well as the Omicron variant. The first delivery of doses will arrive on Friday.
Students are getting ready to return to school — but with the first day of classes less than a week away, officials with the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) say recent changes to the province’s COVID-19 guidelines are a cause for “concern.”
Police have identified the two victims who drowned when a canoe capsized in northeastern Ontario after finding the missing second body.
The City of Windsor has hundreds to jobs to fill for the municipal Election Day this fall.
Forty bears have been struck and killed by vehicles on Highway 400 between Honey Harbour Road, Georgian Bay Township and Parry Sound during August.
Police arrested a man accused of an armed home invasion and robbery that happened over six months ago at a rural Bradford property and continue to search for two others.
A popular scam making the rounds in recent weeks duped a senior out of $100,000, according to police.
Nova Scotia is reporting five new deaths related to COVID-19, according to data released on the province's COVID-19 dashboard Thursday.
Nova Scotia children between the ages of five and 11 are now eligible to receive their first booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
The New Brunswick RCMP's Major Crime Unit is investigating a homicide after a body was discovered in Rollingdam, N.B.
A Calgary-based treatment program – the only one of its kind in Alberta – is giving new opportunities to people who suffer from neurological disorders.
A Calgary man is facing charges after he allegedly used stolen identification documents to purchase guns.
The Calgary Real Estate Board says August's benchmark price for a home in the city rose by 11 per cent since last year, while the number of sales was almost unchanged in the same period.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says some premiers are not being honest about the effect of Ottawa's carbon tax.
More than a year after cement started flowing in Kaitlin Bialek’s basement, she said she is still dealing with the aftermath of the incident.
Manitoba RCMP have arrested a man in connection with the death of 56-year-old Bud Paul.
Vancouver City Hall was evacuated Thursday afternoon after a suspicious substance was found in the building.
A suspect has been arrested after a bizarre incident involving a man allegedly driving a stolen vehicle while "drifting in and out of consciousness" in New Westminster on Wednesday night.
Health officials say the B.C. government is ready to begin administering doses of Moderna's Omicron-targeting bivalent vaccine "as soon as we get it" – and the wait shouldn't be long.
Mounties in Alberta on Thursday unveiled a new Community Safety and Wellbeing Branch, an effort to streamline cooperation between RCMP, mental health professionals, citizen patrol groups and social service providers.
Mill Woods Town Centre was evacuated Thursday afternoon after a chemical spill filled a store with smoke.
Alberta celebrated its inaugural birthday party holiday with Culture Minister Ron Orr bashing the prime minster and 'Laurentian elites' while asserting the province has received the short end of the stick in the federation for more than a century.
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