Speaker, a question to the Premier: This Premier likes to claim that he’s for the little guy, but the littlest people in this province will pay the biggest price if he keeps up his attack on education workers. Our kids count on caring adults in the classroom, and this government is going to drive them out the door permanently. That will mean less support for kids with disabilities, less support for the youngest students and less safe schools. If the Premier won’t rip up his anti-worker legislation for the sake of kids, parents and education workers, will he do it to salvage his so-called brand?

Actually, the Premier does have a choice. He could make a good offer. He could make a difference in the lives of our children and our education workers.

Speaker, the Premier says education workers are little guys, little gals. This government thinks it’s okay for them to have to use food banks. The Premier is acting like a bad boss. When bad bosses disrespect and underpay people for long enough, those people quit; they walk. It won’t be just Friday or next week that parents have to worry about if education workers leave the profession; it’s the future of their kids’ education.

If the Premier won’t rip up his anti-worker legislation for the sake of kids, parents and education workers, will he do it to avoid getting booed in public again for acting like a bad boss?

Interjections.

If the Premier won’t rip up his anti-work legislation for the sake of kids, parents and education workers, will he do it to stop embarrassing his own labour minister?

My question is to the Premier. Education workers—a largely women-led profession—are earning an average of $39,000 a year or less and often have to access food banks. Many need a second or third job to keep a roof over their heads.

I ask the Premier this: When will he actually put students first by investing in these low-wage education workers—the backbone of our schools—and stop undermining our public education? Rip up Bill 28.

My question is to the Premier. Speaker, this government is desperately trying to paint caring adults who work in our kids’ schools as the bad guys. Everyone else knows they work hard and deserve their rights, fair wages and respect.

James is a school custodian who writes: “I now barely earn enough to support myself, let alone help my mom who’s 75, also still working as a part-time custodian because she can’t afford to retire....

“My school board job doesn’t pay me enough to pay for the rising costs of living. My co-workers and I earn on average $39,000 and can’t afford to live on that. We want our students to have the services they need in our public schools.

“I am asking you to give us the improvement on wages and working conditions that I need, and not support legislation that takes away our right to negotiate those improvements.”

What would this Premier like to say to James?

Erin is a frustrated education assistant and she writes: “The schools are on ‘fire.’ In all my years I have never seen the challenges the schools and students are facing each day.

“We need to fight to ensure no more dedicated, effective workers leave their profession because they need to pay their bills.

“We need to fight to protect the students’ rights to the proper resources and supports that they need to be successful in the classroom.

“We need to fight to ensure that the students get the education system they deserve. They should not have to pay privately for a proper education.

“All I want is a liveable wage. I want resources and money put into our education system so that all our children, including my own, have the best chance at a positive and successful future.

“I want the government to respect us and our roles and that is shown through true collective bargaining. The bully tactics the government is using is not only an attack on education workers, but on all unions.”

What on earth would this Premier like to say to Erin?

I wish the Minister of Education would put that much energy into actually bargaining a fair collective agreement with these—

Interjections.

Speaker, why is the Premier attacking workers and why is he especially focused on women-led professions, like nurses, health care workers—Bill 124 ring a bell?—and education workers?

My question is to the Premier. This government has shown contempt for the Charter of Rights and Canada’s Constitution, the highest law in this land. This government has shown contempt with legislation that is really bullying—this bill is a bully bill—for the front-line education workers and the students that they support. This government has shown contempt for all of our government workers with Bill 124.

The Premier and his minister have single-handedly created chaos in our education system and confusion for parents in our communities. Their heavy-handed approach is forcing an agreement upon 55,000 CUPE workers, 70% of whom are women. They are the lowest-paid workers in our education system, and this is just the beginning of negotiations.

Speaker, can this Premier tell this House what he has next for the other education workers? ETFO, OSSTF, all of the other education workers: What do you have in your back pocket for them?

Speaker, the Premier and this minister are too weak to face education workers. Instead, they are relying on using the “notwithstanding” clause against the fundamental rights of all Canadians to negotiate, instead of negotiating with education workers who are waiting right now at the table for this government to show up. Why are they not doing their work? Instead, they are diminishing the collective rights of all Canadians. This is shameful. Do your work. Settle the agreements.

As the former education minister, I settled nine agreements with all of our education tables, with zero disruption. It is possible. Why can’t you do your work, instead of introducing pre-emptive legislation? These workers are at the table right now. Where are you? Why are you not there? Why are you not giving them a fair offer? Why are you not proposing a fair deal—

Interjections.

Minister of Education.

Interjections.

Interjection.

Start the clock. The supplementary question.

The Minister of Education can reply.

Restart the clock.

The member for Scarborough–Guildwood will come to order. The President of Treasury Board will come to order. The Minister of Infrastructure will come to order.

Start the clock. Minister of Education, please reply.

To the Premier: I’ve heard from an education assistant who is homeless. She’s sleeping in her car and in homeless shelters. Education workers have experienced a 10% inflationary cut to their wages over the past decade, and your plan is to impose an additional 5% inflationary cut this year. Their pay is now so low that many cannot afford food, shelter or shelter for themselves or their children. Will your government ensure that our education workers are not forced to live on the streets or to access food banks?

Let’s all cheer for using a hammer for the most vulnerable people in our education system.

Supplementary.

The Minister of Education.

My question is to the Premier. I want to bring up the story of an education assistant in Niagara: Michelle Branch. Michelle knew she was never going to be rich doing what she does. She said as a university- and college-educated single mother, she thought she could do this work and provide more for her family—help pay for her mortgage, insurance, groceries and all the things her daughter needs. This is a female-dominated workplace, and once again, like the nurses and the health care workers before this, this government is continuing to keep women down.

Will the Premier answer why this government is refusing to bargain in good faith with education workers—passionate education workers—that are struggling to make ends meet?

I have been sent pay stub after pay stub after pay stub from education workers this week. The vast majority of them are making barely over a minimum wage. I hear about veteran education workers of 30 years having to watch their colleagues finish their work at school and then go to McDonald’s for a night shift.

Melanie O’Neil is an EA and a parent and knows the value of and need for staff—qualified, professional, skilled and experienced staff—who feel valued and motivated to do their jobs and who will stay long-term.

Premier, given the fact that you are willing to table this massive bill to trample the rights of education workers, were you ever really bargaining in good faith for parents and the staff that make our schools work and keep our children safe and our classrooms clean?