Labour Council holds protest outside MPP Romano’s office; says ‘7 cents is not enough’ (5 photos)

Sault Ste. Marie and District Labour Council representatives joined with a group of teachers and other education workers from several unions outside Sault MPP Ross Romano’s office early Wednesday afternoon, calling on the provincial government to hire more janitors in the face of a possible return to classrooms by teachers and students in the fall.

It was one of many such rallies across the province.

“The government has offered a few million dollars, which equates to seven cents per student, for a plan to be put in place for their safety when they return to school, but it isn’t enough funding,” said Michele McCleave-Kennedy, Sault Ste. Marie and District Labour Council president.

“We don’t think seven cents per student is going to be enough to keep our students safe in the schools. Basically that equates to two Lysol wipes per day, per kid...we need proper funding and proper programming so that kids are going to be safe.”

“Hiring of (enough) custodians has not been put in place. We can’t just disinfect at night and expect that’s going to be safe enough for us during the day. We need to have more staff during the day who are going to disinfect...seven cents is not going to hire enough custodians to have our classrooms wiped down between recesses,” McCleave-Kennedy said.

More staff are needed to ensure washrooms are clean if children go back to school, she added. 

Education Minister Stephen Lecce has said the provincial government, working with Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, will reveal its return-to-school plan and that parents can expect more details this week (after students studied online at home from March to June due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

About 30 elementary and secondary school teachers and other education workers, represented by ETFO, OSSTF and OECTA, gathered with OPSEU members, steelworkers and parents (some of them with children in special education) for Wednesday’s rally. 

“There’s a concern in the community. There isn’t a program that’s been finally put out, but from what we’ve heard so far, it’s not going to be adequate for what we need,” McCleave-Kennedy said.

“I have a son who is asthmatic. He’s one of those at risk students and I want to know, when he’s back in the classroom, if it’s safe for him and also safe for his teacher. If it’s not safe I don’t want him going,” said Shelly Predum, Algoma District ETFO vice president, Grade 7 and 8 teacher and a parent of two schoolchildren.

“We want more janitors and fewer students in the class so they can social distance safely. Some classrooms are very small and I know sometimes they have really large classes of almost 30 students. You can’t social distance in a class that size.”

“I’m worried. I’m concerned for my sons,” Predum said.