OSBCU 2026 Central Bargaining Update #3 – July 3, 2026

 

OSBCU 2026 Central Bargaining
Update #3 – July 3, 2026

(Version française ci-après)

Good evening,

Today, July 3, your CUPE-Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) bargaining committee had our third day at the bargaining table with the Council of Employers Associations (CEA – the organization representing all school board employers across Ontario), and the Ministry of Education, representing the government. This meeting happened in person in Toronto.

We continued to have discussions about the scope of central bargaining. To recap, scope determines what we will negotiate at the central table, and what issues will be negotiated by CUPE locals with school boards. We need to agree on scope before we move on to bargaining.

We came to the table eager to reach an agreement so that we can start bargaining the issues that matter to members, parents and students, including hiring more staff, sick leave, benefits, job security, wage increases, and all of the other bargaining priorities identified by CUPE-OSBCU members and are essential to make gains on.

Unfortunately, the employer took over a week to respond to our last proposal on what should be in the scope of central bargaining, but they made virtually no movement from their original proposal at the table today. Throughout the day we asked them for clarification on the rationale for their positions.

We also pushed back on issues we believe are best negotiated in local bargaining, including unpaid short-term leaves, local union leave, scheduling issues, contracting out, and layoff and recall language. And we held firm on issues we think should be negotiated centrally, including student supervision.

We will return to the bargaining table on July 21 and 22 to try to get agreement on the scope of central bargaining.

Once we have an agreement on scope, we’ll let locals and members know immediately, as this will launch the start of local and central bargaining.

Get involved and fight for more funding and staffing!
  1. Participate in local actions to fight job cuts and sign your local’s pledge to strike if necessary
  2. Participate in a Paint the Province Purple community canvassing or outreach event this summer on July 22, August 12 and beyond: https://osbcu.ca/2026/06/01/paint-the-province-purple/
  3. Your elected MPP needs to feel pressure from as many constituents as possible! Call your local MPP and ask them to publicly speak up about the need for more education workers in schools. You can find your local MPP here:
    Current MPPs | Legislative Assembly of Ontario
  4. Contact your Local Executive to get involved

In Solidarity,
Your OSBCU Bargaining Committee

To update your contact information for bargaining updates
click here!

Négociations collectives centrales du CSCSO 2026

Mise à jour n° 3 – 3 juillet 2026

Bonsoir,

Aujourd’hui, le 3 juillet, le comité de négociation du Conseil des syndicats des conseils scolaires de l’Ontario (CSCSO) du SCFP a tenu sa deuxième journée de négociation avec le Conseil des associations d’employeurs (CAE) (l’organisme représentant tous les employeurs des conseils scolaires de l’Ontario) et le ministère de l’Éducation, qui représente le gouvernement. Cette réunion s’est déroulée en personne à Toronto.

Nous avons poursuivi les discussions sur la portée du champ de la négociation centrale. Pour résumer, le champ d’application détermine ce que nous négocierons à la table centrale et quelles questions seront négociées au niveau local. Nous devons nous entendre sur ce champ de la négociation centrale avant de passer à la phase des négociations.

Nous nous sommes présentés à la table de négociation avec la ferme intention de parvenir à une entente afin de pouvoir commencer à négocier les enjeux qui comptent pour les membres, les parents et les élèves, notamment l’embauche de personnel supplémentaire, les congés de maladie, les avantages sociaux, la sécurité d’emploi, les augmentations salariales et toutes les autres priorités de négociation identifiées par les membres du SCFP-CSCSO et sur lesquelles il est essentiel de réaliser des gains.

Malheureusement, l’employeur a mis plus d’une semaine à répondre à notre dernière proposition concernant ce qui devrait faire partie du champ d’application des négociations centrales, mais il n’a pratiquement pas bougé par rapport à sa proposition initiale lors de la séance d’aujourd’hui. Tout au long de la journée, nous lui avons demandé des précisions sur les raisons qui sous-tendent ses positions.

Nous avons également insisté sur des questions qui, selon nous, devrait être négociées au niveau local, notamment les congés non payés de courte durée, les relèves syndicales au niveau local, les questions d’horaires, de la sous-traitance, ainsi que les questions de mise à pied et rappel. Et nous sommes restés fermes sur les questions qui, à notre avis, devraient être négociées au niveau central, notamment la supervision des élèves.

Nous retournerons à la table de négociation les 21 et 22 juillet pour tenter de parvenir à une entente sur le champ de la négociation centrale.

Une fois que nous aurons conclu une entente sur le champ de la négociation centrale, nous en informerons immédiatement les sections locales et les membres, car cela marquera le début des négociations locales et centrales.

Mobilisez-vous et luttez pour obtenir davantage de financement et de personnel!
  1. Participez aux actions locales pour lutter contre les compressions d’emplois et signez l’engagement de votre section locale à faire la grève si nécessaire
  1. Participez cet été à notre campagne de porte-à-porte ou une activité de sensibilisation communautaire les 22 juillet et 12 août, et au-delà « Peinturer la province en mauve »
    Le Conseil des syndicats des conseils scolaires de l’Ontario
  • Votre député provincial élu doit ressentir la pression du plus grand nombre possible d’électeurs! Appelez votre député provincial et demandez-lui de s’exprimer publiquement sur la nécessité d’augmenter le nombre de travailleuses et travailleurs de l’éducation dans les écoles. Vous pouvez trouver votre député provincial ici :
    Députées et députés actuels | Assemblée législative de l’Ontario
  • Communiquez avec l’exécutif de votre section locale pour vous mobiliser

En toute solidarité,

Votre comité de négociation du CSCSO

Pour mettre à jour vos coordonnées afin de recevoir les dernières nouvelles sur les négociations, Inscrivez-vous pour recevoir les mises à jour !

OSBCU 2026 Central Bargaining Update #2 – June 24, 2026

OSBCU 2026 Central Bargaining
Update #2 – June 24, 2026

(Version française ci-après)

Good evening,

Today, June 24, your CUPE-Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) bargaining committee had our second day at the bargaining table with the Crown and the Council of Employers Associations (CEA – the organization representing all school board employers across Ontario), and the Ministry of Education, representing the government. This meeting happened in person in Toronto.

We continued discussions about the scope of central bargaining and started the day by asking questions to clarify the employer’s positions about their first proposal, which we received on our first day of bargaining last week.

After that, we gave them a comprehensive response, identifying the items that we thought needed to remain within the scope of local bargaining and what we want to negotiate at the central table.

We will be resuming our discussions on July 3rd where we will continue working towards a central scope agreement that works for the OSBCU locals and members.

Once we have an agreement on the scope of central bargaining, we’ll notify all locals and members, as this will launch the start of local and central bargaining.  

Get involved and fight for more funding and staffing!
  1. Participate in local actions to fight job cuts and sign your local’s pledge to strike if necessary
  2. Participate in a Paint the Province Purple community canvassing or outreach event this summer https://osbcu.ca/2026/06/01/paint-the-province-purple/
  3. Your elected MPP needs to feel pressure from as many constituents as possible! Call your local MPP and ask them to publicly speak up about the need for more education workers in schools. You can find your local MPP here: Current MPPs | Legislative Assembly of Ontario
  4. Contact your Local Executive to get involved

In Solidarity,

Your OSBCU Bargaining Committee

To update your contact information for bargaining updates
click here!

Négociations collectives centrales du CSCSO 2026

Mise à jour n° 2 – 24 juin 2026

Bonsoir,

Aujourd’hui, le 24 juin, le comité de négociation du Conseil des syndicats des conseils scolaires de l’Ontario (CSCSO) du SCFP a tenu sa deuxième journée de négociation avec le Conseil des associations d’employeurs (CAE) (l’organisme représentant tous les employeurs des conseils scolaires de l’Ontario) et le ministère de l’Éducation, qui représente le gouvernement. Cette réunion s’est déroulée en personne à Toronto.

Nous avons poursuivi les discussions sur la portée du champ de la négociation centrale et avons commencé la journée en posant des questions afin de clarifier la position de l’employeur concernant sa première proposition, que nous avions reçue lors de notre première journée de négociation la semaine dernière.

Par la suite, nous leur avons présenté une réponse détaillée, en précisant les points qui, selon nous, devaient demeurer dans le champ de la négociation locale et ceux que nous souhaitons négocier à la table centrale.

Nous reprendrons nos discussions le 3 juillet, où nous continuerons à travailler à la

 conclusion d’une entente sur la portée du champ de la négociation centrale qui convienne aux sections locales et aux membres du CSCSO. 

Une fois que nous aurons conclu une entente sur la portée de la négociation centrale, nous en informerons toutes les sections locales ainsi que tous les membres, car cela marquera le début des négociations locales et centrales. 

Mobilisez-vous et luttez pour obtenir davantage de financement et de personnel!
  1. Participez aux actions locales pour lutter contre les compressions d’emplois et signez l’engagement de votre section locale à faire la grève si nécessaire
  1. Participez cet été à une campagne communautaire « Peinturer la province en mauve » (Paint the Province Purple) ou à un événement de sensibilisation Peinturer la province en mauve le 6 juin ! – Le Conseil des syndicats des conseils scolaires de l’Ontario
  2. Votre député provincial élu doit ressentir la pression du plus grand nombre possible d’électeurs! Appelez votre député provincial et demandez-lui de s’exprimer publiquement sur la nécessité d’augmenter le nombre de travailleuses et travailleurs de l’éducation dans les écoles. Vous pouvez trouver votre député provincial ici : Députées et députés actuels | Assemblée législative de l’Ontario
  3. Communiquez avec l’exécutif de votre section locale pour vous mobiliser

En toute solidarité,

Votre comité de négociation du CSCSO

Pour mettre à jour vos coordonnées afin de recevoir les dernières nouvelles sur les négociations, Inscrivez-vous pour recevoir les mises à jour !

Paint the Province Purple this Summer!

This summer, CUPE‑OSBCU education workers will come together to paint the province purple in support of strong, well‑funded public schools on two province-wide days of action: Wednesday, July 22nd and Wednesday, August 12th from 6-8pm.

Be part of the movement in your community.

Whether you’re joining an existing event or organizing your own, everything you need is right here.

Sign up to join an event near you

  • Click on the above link to find a local community canvass or outreach event in your community and add your name to the growing list of education workers parents, caregivers and community members standing up for publicly funded education across Ontario.

 Host your own event

  •  Click on the above link to add a community canvass or outreach event for your area. You will receive a link that you can use to invite members and community members.

 Get resources and materials

  • Visit the Resources tab for checklists, posters, talking points, and everything you need to be fully prepared for your community canvassing

  • If your local needs lawn signs, contact your National Representative to arrange to pick up signs from the CUPE area office.

OSBCU 2026 Central Bargaining Update #1 – June 17, 2026

OSBCU 2026 Central Bargaining
Update #1 – June 17, 2026

(Version française ci-après)

Good evening,

Today, June 17, your CUPE-Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) bargaining committee met with the Crown and the Council of Employers’ Associations (CEA – the organization representing all school board employers across Ontario), and the Ministry of Education, representing the government. This meeting happened in person in Toronto.

Your bargaining committee served notice to bargain on June 3 – along with OECTA, ETFO, OSSTF, and AEFO – the earliest date possible. In accordance with the School Board Collective Bargaining Act, the government had 15 days to schedule the first bargaining date, and when they offered June 17, your bargaining committee readily accepted.

Here’s what we discussed

We reached an agreement on the ground rules for central bargaining. Despite the government’s wishes, we maintained our right to open and transparent bargaining and we will be able to communicate with members about what is happening at the bargaining table throughout the process.

We also initiated discussion on the scope of central bargaining. Scope determines what we will negotiate at the central table, and what issues will be negotiated by CUPE locals. We will need to reach an agreement on the scope of central bargaining before the OSBCU and CUPE education locals can start exchanging proposals.

CUPE-OSBCU came prepared to reach agreement on central scope, only proposing minor changes from the last round in 2022. The employer side came with a large number of proposed changes to central scope at the end of the day. We weren’t able to finalize agreement on scope, but we have secured future dates and are committed to finalizing them in a timely manner.

Get involved and fight for more funding and staffing!
  1. Participate in local actions to fight job cuts and sign your local’s pledge to strike if necessary
  2. Participate in a Paint the Province Purple community canvassing or outreach event this summer https://osbcu.ca/2026/06/01/paint-the-province-purple/
  3. Your elected MPP needs to feel pressure from as many constituents as possible! Call your local MPP and ask them to publicly speak up about the need for more education workers in schools. You can find your local MPP here: Current MPPs | Legislative Assembly of Ontario
  4. Contact your Local Executive to get involved

In Solidarity,

Your OSBCU Bargaining Committee

To update your contact information for bargaining updates
click here!

Négociations collectives centrales du CSCSO 2026

Mise à jour n° 1 – 17 juin 2026

Bonsoir,

Aujourd’hui, le 17 juin, votre comité de négociation du Conseil des syndicats des conseils scolaires de l’Ontario (CSCSO) du SCFP a rencontré la Couronne, et le Conseil des associations d’employeurs (CAE – l’organisme représentant tous les employeurs des commissions scolaires de l’Ontario) et le ministère de l’Éducation, qui représente le gouvernement. Cette rencontre s’est déroulée en personne à Toronto.

Votre comité de négociation a signifié son intention de négocier le 3 juin – conjointement avec l’OECTA, FEEO, FEESO et l’AEFO – soit la date la plus précoce possible. Conformément à la Loi sur la négociation collective dans les conseils scolaires, le gouvernement disposait de 15 jours pour fixer la date de la première séance de négociation, et lorsqu’il a proposé le 17 juin, votre comité de négociation a immédiatement accepté.

Voici ce dont nous avons discuté

Nous sommes parvenus à une entente sur les règles de base régissant les négociations à la table de négociation centrale. Malgré les souhaits du gouvernement, nous avons maintenu notre droit à une négociation ouverte et transparente, et nous pourrons communiquer avec les membres au sujet de ce qui se passe à la table de négociation tout au long du processus.

Nous avons également entamé des discussions sur la portée du champ de la négociation centrale. Le champ de la négociation centrale, détermine ce que nous négocierons à la table centrale et quelles questions seront négociées par les sections locales du SCFP. Nous devrons parvenir à une entente sur la portée du champ de la négociation centrale avant que le CSCSO et les sections locales du SCFP du secteur de l’éducation puissent commencer à échanger leurs propositions.

Le SCFP-CSCSO s’était préparé à conclure une entente sur le champ de la négociation centrale, ne proposant que des modifications mineures par rapport à la dernière ronde de négociations de 2022. À la fin de la journée, la partie patronale a présenté un grand nombre de propositions de modifications au champ d’application central. Nous n’avons pas pu conclure d’entente définitive sur ce point, mais nous avons fixé des dates afin de continuer nos discussions et nous nous engageons à finaliser cette entente dans les meilleurs délais.

Mobilisez-vous et luttez pour obtenir davantage de financement et de personnel!
  1. Participez aux actions locales pour lutter contre les compressions d’emplois et signez l’engagement de votre section locale à faire la grève si nécessaire
  1. Participez cet été à une campagne communautaire « Peinturer la province en mauve » (Paint the Province Purple) ou à un événement de sensibilisation Peinturer la province en mauve le 6 juin ! – Le Conseil des syndicats des conseils scolaires de l’Ontario
  2. Votre député provincial élu doit ressentir la pression du plus grand nombre possible d’électeurs! Appelez votre député provincial et demandez-lui de s’exprimer publiquement sur la nécessité d’augmenter le nombre de travailleuses et travailleurs de l’éducation dans les écoles. Vous pouvez trouver votre député provincial ici : Députées et députés actuels | Assemblée législative de l’Ontario
  3. Communiquez avec l’exécutif de votre section locale pour vous mobiliser

En toute solidarité,

Votre comité de négociation du CSCSO

Pour mettre à jour vos coordonnées afin de recevoir les dernières nouvelles sur les négociations, Inscrivez-vous pour recevoir les mises à jour !

OSBCU Bargaining Updates, Wednesday June 17, 2026

OSBCU Bargaining Updates, Wednesday June 17, 2026

Bargaining Update

On June 3, the OSBCU, alongside our education union partners, formally served notice to bargain. With a collective worker power of 255,000, this is an important moment and a strong demonstration that education unions are standing together in solidarity and ready to fight for our members, students and publicly funded education.

The bargaining process requires the parties to meet within 15 days of notice being served. Our first central bargaining date has been scheduled for this week and the OSBCU bargaining committee will be meeting with the Crown and the Council of Employers’ Associations on Wednesday, June 17, beginning at 10 a.m.

The first meeting will be preliminary. We expect to discuss bargaining ground rules, scope of central bargaining, and the distinction between central and local issues. We have made it clear that the OSBCU is prepared to bargain, and we are available and ready to meet throughout June, July, and beyond.

Our priorities are clear, and our bargaining committee is ready to bring our members’ demands to the table. You will find bargaining bulletins outlining the priorities that members voted on here: https://osbcu.ca/bargaining-bulletins/

Our strength comes from all 57,000 CUPE education workers standing behind us on these demands. We will continue to update you and release bargaining updates after every meeting.

Core Education Funding

On May 13, the government released its Core Education Funding for 2026-2027 school year. This announcement includes the government’s funding and enrolment projections and tells us what the Ford Government currently intends to spend on publicly funded education next year. To put it simply, it is BAD-NEWS. The funding is currently projected to rise by only one per cent. This is well below inflation and does not keep pace with rising costs even with declining enrolment.

This will have devasting consequences for schools. Five school boards are projected to experience reduction in total funding; twenty-five boards are facing cuts to the Classroom Staffing funds; twenty-three board are facing cuts to the Special Education Fund; eleven boards will experience a cut to the School Facilities Fund. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives reviewed the Core Education Funding and concluded that the cumulative cut to public education has now reached $6.4 billion since the Conservatives took office in 2018.

This funding announcement is a clear message about the government’s approach to bargaining, but it is important to note that this funding decision can be CHANGED! Collective bargaining can force the government to provide additional funding for wages, benefits, staffing, and other education improvements.

WE ARE READY FOR THIS FIGHT. Now more than ever, OSBCU members are standing together and fighting back. Please continue to organize throughout the summer and connect with your friends, family, neighbors, and community, and talk to them about what is happening in your schools. Have them take a lawn/window sign, sign the petition and reach out to your local MPP and tell them to start funding public education NOW.

Here’s a brief script you or anyone you connect with can use when speaking to your local MPP:

“Hi, my name is _______ and my postal code is ______. I am calling as your constituent to ask you to speak up. Our public schools have an understaffing crisis and student needs are higher than ever. We need more frontline education workers but the is planning to cut staff. I am asking you to publicly speak up and call for more frontline education workers, not less, in schools. Please call me back at with a response.”

To find your MPP’s contact info, click here: https://www.ola.org/en/members/current

June 6 & Community Outreach

Saturday, June 6, was an incredible demonstration of what OSBCU members can accomplish when we work together! Across the province we painted the province purple at 39 local organized events. Members had one-on-one conversations with the public, letting them know what is happening in our schools; the responses were overwhelmingly supportive, and community members understood that there is not enough staff in schools and how this is impacting students’ learning environments.

For many, this was their first time canvassing or connecting with members of the public in this capacity. It can be intimidating, but the reports we received were incredibly positive. Thank you to all who participated and submitted photos! Every sign, every conversation and every picture sends a strong message to the government that we will be holding them accountable, and we will not be accepting these cuts!

June 6th was just the beginning. Throughout the summer, locals will be developing a schedule of outreach dates. Two additional dates for province-wide outreach have already been scheduled for Wednesday, July 22 and Wednesday, August 12. Please continue to register your local events and submit photos of your community outreach over the summer. These outreach events are how we continue to pressure our employers and hold PC MPP’s accountable. In addition to community canvassing, locals can distribute information at farmers’ markets, festivals, community events, Labour Day events and more. We must continue to reach out to our members, friends, family, and other labour groups to build our power. The goal is to build enough organized power to win increased funding and staffing, stronger job security, better wages and benefits, and the public education system students deserve.

In Closing

Thank you all for all the work that you do, without you Ontario schools would not run. We are heading into a bargaining summer, and we know the government will not voluntarily provide the support our students and staff need. We need to continue to organize and pressure the government to meet these demands. Our bargaining team is committed to achieving these gains at the table, but we cannot do it without you. We need all 57,000 workers to come together and help us fight for these changes. This summer we need you to:

  • Continue to have conversations with friends, family and neighbors on what’s happening in our schools
    • Have them take a lawn/window sign and sign the petition
  • Join your local’s community canvass and outreach events
  • Call and have your friends call your local MPP/Doug Ford/Paul Calandra and demand they start funding public education
  • Continue to stay informed, make sure your contact information is correct with your local, and sign up for the OSBCU newsletter

Ontario’s Education Unions Serve Notice to Bargain

For Immediate Release: June 3, 2026
TORONTO, ON – Today, Ontario’s education unions — L’Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO), Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), Ontario School Board Council of Unions (CUPE-OSBCU), and Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) — each served notice to bargain on employer bargaining agencies, and informed the provincial government who is a participant at the table.
Together, our unions represent more than 255,000 teachers and education workers across Ontario. United in our commitment to publicly funded education, we are prepared to engage in meaningful negotiations focused on supporting students and strengthening learning and working conditions in schools across the province.

Click here to read the full statement: JOINT STATEMENT – Notice to Bargain – 3June2026

OSBCU marks Pride Month 2026

This Pride Month, OSBCU celebrates alongside 2SLGBTQIA+ students, workers, families, and communities — and reaffirms what our 57,000 education workers across Ontario know to be true: every person deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued, in every school, every workplace, and every community.
Pride is a celebration of diversity, resilience, and the power of being exactly who you are. It is also a reminder that the work of building genuinely inclusive spaces is never finished.
Our members work in every corner of Ontario’s schools. Whatever role we play, we all share a responsibility to make sure every student feels safe and every worker is treated with dignity. When a student sees that the people around them show up with compassion and solidarity, it matters. When a worker is treated with respect, it matters.
At a time when 2SLGBTQIA+ communities across Canada and beyond continue to face discrimination, hostility, and attacks on hard-won rights, we know that passive support is not enough. Education workers have always understood that what we do — and what we refuse to tolerate — sends a message to the students and communities we serve.
Every student deserves to learn in a school where they are affirmed for who they are. Every education worker deserves a workplace free from harassment, discrimination, homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia.
This month, and every month, OSBCU stands in solidarity with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and remains committed to equity, inclusion, and human rights in every Ontario school.
Happy Pride Month.

OSBCU Bargaining Updates, Tuesday May 19, 2026

The OSBCU Calls for Real Investment After Ford Government’s Deeply Inadequate Education Funding Announcement

The Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) is deeply disappointed by the Ford government’s 2026–27 Core Education Funding announcement released today. At a time when Ontario’s publicly funded schools are facing an unprecedented staffing and funding crisis, this funding offers little more than austerity, uncertainty, and continued neglect for students and education workers.

Read the OSBCU’s response here: Core Funding – May 13, 2026

255,000+ Teachers and Education Workers Unite in Province-wide Day of Action

TORONTO, ON – L’Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO), Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), Ontario School Board Council of Unions (CUPE-OSBCU), and Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) issue the following statement ahead of this Wednesday’s Provincial Day of Action:

JOINT STATEMENT – Provincial Day of Action – 29April2026