Ontario Education Workers Rally Amid Funding Disputes and Looming Strike Votes

Teachers and education workers held rallies in five Ontario cities on Saturday, including Toronto, London, Ottawa, Sudbury, and Thunder Bay, to demand increased provincial funding and support for the public school system, as CBC Toronto first reported.

According to reporting from CBC Toronto, protesters at the Queen's Park rally claimed the provincial government has underfunded public education by $6.5 billion since 2018. Demonstrators called for improved working conditions, smaller class sizes, and expanded support for students with special education needs.

While Education Minister Paul Calandra announced in September that the province is providing $30.6 billion in core education funding, protesters highlighted a report from Ontario's Financial Accountability Office regarding the Ministry of Education's 2026 spending plan. That report indicates per-student funding has reached its lowest level in 10 years. Joe Tigani, President of CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions, stated in a news release that the province's public education system is at a "breaking point."

The demonstrations occur as education workers have been without a contract since late August. Negotiations are currently stalled while the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) determines which issues should be handled via central bargaining—typically salary and benefits—and which should be left to local school boards. Consequently, all major education unions are scheduled to hold strike votes in November.

Emma Testani, press secretary for Minister Calandra, told CBC Toronto that the OLRB process has "delayed the continuation of bargaining" and argued that "premature strike threats" create unnecessary panic for parents. Testani stated the province remains ready to negotiate once the OLRB process concludes.