SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Ontario Assembly

43rd Parl. 1st Sess.
October 5, 2023 10:15AM
  • Oct/5/23 11:20:00 a.m.

Let me just acknowledge the incredible leadership of the member from Carleton, who has been standing up and holding the school board and, particularly, OSTA to account.

We have taken action from the beginning.

We launched an audit of this board to understand the long-term fiscal sustainability, to make sure parents have reliable, dependable transportation services for their children.

We increased wages to $23 an hour—a significant lift in wages for workers, particularly for our bus drivers; we increased statutory benefits, providing 13%—which did not exist in the past; we’re paying for 10 statutory holidays, which didn’t exist in the past; we’re paying for four days of annual training and dry runs; we are increasing respect for the workers, which is why the Ontario school bus association has endorsed our plan.

For Ottawa, specifically, we provided $75 million, and yet they couldn’t get the job done. The French school boards in the same region, with larger territories and fewer kids, are able to do it. So we’ve now made a clear message to the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority and the school board that we’re auditing them, we’re expecting better, and we’re going to ensure the better delivery and more consistent delivery that the families of Ottawa deserve.

218 words
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