- 2 days ago
Violence should never be tolerated in any school.
Apologies for the delay in getting this published, I came across this rally while headed to a much bigger one and it started no sooner than I arrived, so I recorded it.
Apologies for the delay in getting this published, I came across this rally while headed to a much bigger one and it started no sooner than I arrived, so I recorded it.
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00:00And I have the honour of representing over 2,000 education workers across the Toronto
00:18Catholic District School Board.
00:20We're here today to shine a light on the violence that's happening not only here in Toronto
00:25Catholic, but across schools across the province.
00:29Violence that is directly caused by the board government's severe underfunding of public education.
00:36I've worked for the TCDSB for nearly 20 years as a child and youth worker.
00:44I know firsthand what it means to care for students, to help them regulate, to offer them strategies
00:50to prevent crises before they start.
00:53But that kind of work, the preventative, proactive support has all but disappeared.
00:58And what has replaced it?
01:00Violence.
01:01Every.
01:02Single.
01:03Day.
01:04Our members are being bitten, punched, kicked, scratched.
01:09They're having antibiotics prescribed for puncture wounds.
01:13Educational assistants are getting their hair pulled out.
01:16They're being sent to the hospital for CAT scans because projectiles are being thrown across classrooms.
01:21And that's just a few recent examples.
01:24Day.
01:25Day.
01:26Absolutely.
01:27One member recently told me a good day is when she's only hit three or four times.
01:34The sad reality of this is, is this is what it has come to.
01:37Violence is becoming normalized within our education system.
01:40Education workers are told that violence is just part of their job.
01:45And let me be clear.
01:47This isn't rare.
01:48This is not a once in a while.
01:50It's daily.
01:51It's constant.
01:52It's systematic.
01:53It's a direct result of the chronic underfunding and crisis and understaffing across the Ontario
02:00School board.
02:05The Ford government continues to gut our education system and we're left trying to put out fires
02:15with little to no back-up or support.
02:18There's no more time for academics, no more time for connections, there's no value in therapeutic rapport.
02:24The schools have become reactive and dangerous.
02:37It's not just unsafe for workers, it's unsafe for all students.
02:41While we're managing violent outbursts in the corner of the classroom, the rest of the class is raiding, watching, hearing, seeing.
02:51Besides the violence that is facing our education system, what breaks my heart, not only as an education worker, but as a parent, that's you,
03:00it's the quiet middle of those students, who just need that little extra bit of time, someone to sit with them,
03:06someone to help keep them on track, someone to help break down the tasks so they can be successful.
03:12And it's these students who not long ago received the support of an education worker.
03:17And these are the students that have given half the chance, they will change the world.
03:22But they're being forgotten, they're being left behind, and they're falling through the cracks of the education system
03:27by the Ford's government's systematic dismantling of it.
03:32The system is failing our students, but I want to be clear.
03:38This failure is not the fault of our staff or any of our students.
03:42It is the fault of the Ford government.
03:49Our members love the work they do.
03:51They love their students.
03:53But the schools just don't have the support they need to help the students be successful.
03:57So let me say this clearly.
04:00This is not sustainable.
04:02This is not safe.
04:04And this is not acceptable.
04:05We need serious investment now.
04:08We're calling on the TCDSB and the government to hire hundreds more frontline staff, education workers,
04:15bring back the preventative support,
04:18restore the in-school counselling and the in-school roles that we have lost.
04:21We're not asking for luxuries.
04:24We're asking to bring the schools back to a basic level of safety.
04:29We are here to protect our members.
04:31We're here to protect our students.
04:33And we're here to protect our schools.
04:41Everyone deserves to get up in the morning and go to school, go to work, and feel safe.
04:46And right now, they don't.
04:48So today, we raise our voices, we demand action,
04:52and we won't stop until our classrooms are safe again.
04:56For every student, for every worker, every single day.
05:06And now I have the incredible opportunity to introduce someone that I work with every day.
05:14A fierce advocate for 1328.
05:16Our vice president's and grievance officer, Lisa Townsend.
05:26Okay, to say I'm nervous is like, it's an understatement.
05:30But here I am.
05:32Hello, everyone.
05:33And we're so grateful to see all of you here today.
05:36As Sharon said, my name is Lisa Townsend,
05:41and I'm proud to serve as the vice president of CUPE 1328.
05:46I've worked for the Toronto Catholic District School Board for over 20 years.
05:51And over those two decades, I've seen a heartbreaking shift in our schools.
05:57The support system that once helped our students thrive,
06:02school-wide counselors, preventative programs, one-to-one supports,
06:08they've been stripped away piece by piece.
06:11We used to have enough staff to build relationships with our students,
06:18to intervene early, to help students before things escalate.
06:25But now we're in a full-blown crisis mode.
06:28Constantly reacting, constantly short-staffed,
06:32and constantly stretched too thin.
06:34And who's to pay the price?
06:37Our students.
06:38Yay!
06:40They're not getting the help that they need to feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.
06:47And then our members, who are being punched, kicked, bitten,
06:52and physically assaulted, as Sharon said, every single day.
06:56Yay!
06:58And as Sharon said, again, I'll reiterate,
07:00it's not just a bad day, or an isolated incident.
07:05It's a systemic failure caused by years of chronic underfunding and understaffing.
07:11Yay!
07:13Violence in our schools is being normalized.
07:16And that is something that we will never accept.
07:20Ever.
07:22That's not what we're here for.
07:25We're calling for real investments in staffing,
07:28in student supports, and safety.
07:32Every student deserves care.
07:34Every worker deserves protection.
07:37And it's time that we fix what's broken before more harm is done.
07:43Thank you so much for coming out to our support.
07:49Let's go, go, go!
07:51Solidarity!
07:52And now I have the pleasure of introducing Joe Tugiani,
07:56the president of OCOSBCU.
07:58Woo!
08:03Good afternoon, everyone.
08:06Can you feel the energy here today, people?
08:09Woo!
08:11My name is Joe Tugiani,
08:12and I'm the proud president of the Ontario School Board Council of Unions.
08:16I'm proud to stand with my fellow CUPE local presidents today,
08:21leaders who represent thousands of frontline education workers across this province.
08:28We're here because Ontario schools and our kids deserve better.
08:34Woo!
08:35Woo!
08:36Woo!
08:36Woo!
08:37Woo!
08:37Woo!
08:37Woo!
08:37Woo!
08:38Woo!
08:38Together, we're raising the alarm
08:41because what's happening in Ontario schools is nothing short of a full-blown crisis.
08:48Yeah.
08:48Yay!
08:49Yay!
08:49Yay!
08:50Yay!
08:50Yay!
08:51Over the past eight years,
08:52the Ford government has stripped billions of dollars
08:55from our publicly funded education system.
08:59The result is chronic underfunding,
09:02rising violence,
09:03and students who are being failed by the system
09:06that no longer meets their basic needs.
09:09Yay!
09:10Yay!
09:11Yay!
09:12Members are telling us the same thing from every corner of this province.
09:17Students are not getting the supports they need.
09:20Workers are being put in harm's way
09:23just for showing up to do the job they love.
09:27Incidents of violence are skyrocketing,
09:30not because of bad or broken students,
09:35but because the system itself is broken.
09:39When there aren't enough adults in a room,
09:41and when supports are cut,
09:43everyone suffers.
09:44And what's this government's response?
09:47Instead of investing in schools,
09:50they're doubling down on power grabs,
09:52like Bill 33.
09:54And what's this government's response?
09:55And what's this government's response?
09:55And what's this government's response?
09:56And what's this government's response?
09:57A dangerous, anti-democratic piece of legislation
10:00that is designed to distract from the Ford government
10:04and Calander's failures.
10:06We won't be distracted.
10:09We won't be silent.
10:11Ontario's education system is at a breaking point,
10:19and the cost is being paid in stress, burnout, trauma,
10:25and it's the children who are falling through the cracks.
10:30We're demanding immediate action.
10:32Fund our schools properly.
10:34Hire more education workers in the province of Ontario.
10:38Keep our workers and our students safe.
10:40This fight isn't just about saying no to Ford.
10:48It's about saying yes to our kids,
10:51yes to our schools,
10:52and yes to a better future.
10:55Together, let's make this happen.
11:06Thank you, Jo.
11:07That was very powerful.
11:08And now we have the pleasure of welcoming Rebecca Avery,
11:11president of CUPE 7575.
11:15Sorry.
11:22Good afternoon, everyone.
11:24Thanks for being here with us today.
11:25As she said, I'm Rebecca Avery,
11:27president of CUPE Local 7575.
11:30That's out of London area, so southwestern Ontario.
11:34We represent educational assistants
11:35and student support supervisors.
11:38I worked as an educational assistant for about 20 years
11:41before becoming president of 7575.
11:44I've seen the learning conditions change
11:46from a model that was student-focused and very supportive
11:50to a model that is now reactive and lacking supports.
11:53Right now, all we're trying to do as education workers
11:56is to get students and workers through their day safely.
12:00And that is the absolute bare minimum.
12:02Our school boards are in crisis,
12:04education workers are in crisis,
12:06and our students are in crisis.
12:08Which all stems from our provincial funding being in complete crisis.
12:16It is only October, and already our members are burnt out, stressed out,
12:22and our students are suffering.
12:27We have about 2,000 members through 7575 at the Thames Valley District School Board.
12:32Ten years ago, our job was to provide educational assistance to small groups of students,
12:37supporting them with their academic needs and emotional stresses.
12:42We worked with small groups of kids supporting learning and social-emotional development.
12:47Now, we rarely do that. Our job has become about protecting students,
12:52our co-workers, and ourselves from violence every single moment of every single day.
12:58Our primary role at this point is behavioural support
13:01for students who are struggling to self-regulate within the entire system.
13:06Our classrooms are frequently evacuated because of violent episodes,
13:10completely disrupting a learning environment for all students within that environment.
13:14The impact this has had on the physical and mental health of students and workers is enormous.
13:23The crisis in understaffing means there's not enough support to meet student needs.
13:28There's not enough training for staff, there's not enough staff in classrooms,
13:32and there's not enough resources and tools to adequately support the complex needs of the students that we serve.
13:38I want to emphasise, just as everyone else did, this is not the fault of students.
13:45They are being failed by a system and a government that does not support their needs.
13:51We need the government to implement a plan for concrete action immediately.
13:56We need to drastically increase funding, we need to increase services for mental health for students,
14:01we need to increase health and safety protocols for workers, and we need more appropriate training
14:07and education staff and substantially more funding for the government to do this.
14:117575, along with all the other locals here, are calling on the government to take action
14:17and do this immediately to support our communities and the students we serve.
14:28Thank you, Rebecca.
14:30And next to the mic, I have the honor of introducing Tracy Cooper, president of 4168.
14:3686!
14:45Hey everyone, my name is Tracy Cooper and I'm the president of CUPE 4186 out of London.
14:51with the Catholic School Board.
14:52Before I took on this role, I worked for 19 years as an educational assistant
14:57with the Catholic School Board and sometime with the public board.
15:01I know this work, I've lived it, and now I represent nearly 2,000 CUPE education workers
15:06who are the backbone of our schools.
15:09I'm here today because what's happening in our schools is unacceptable.
15:13Our members are being hit, kicked, spat on, groped, and screamed at.
15:18They've had chairs thrown at them, tables overturned, and their hair pulled.
15:22And they're showing up again the next day, but they're exhausted, burned out, and traumatized.
15:30This is not just about bad days at work.
15:32This is about a crisis that's being ignored.
15:36And the blame lies squarely at the feet of Doug Ford and his government.
15:39We are chronically short-staffed. When someone calls in sick, they are often not replaced.
15:45I've spoken to members who are doing two or even three jobs at a time, without extra pay,
15:50just to keep the students safe, and it's not sustainable.
15:54I have members who are afraid to take a day off because they don't want to leave their colleagues short.
15:58But then they push themselves until they break, and even end up on stress leave.
16:04And the system is failing them, and it's failing our students.
16:07We didn't choose this work for the money. We do it because we care about kids.
16:11But education workers are leaving in droves. Why?
16:15Because the government won't properly fund the supports we need.
16:18And now they're even underfunding our health benefits,
16:21so workers can't access the care that they need to recover.
16:26Premier Ford, if you truly care about education,
16:29about students, about safety, about mental health, then it's time to act.
16:34Fund education properly. Fund staffing. Fund support.
16:39Because we cannot allow this violence to continue.
16:42Not against our students, and not against the workers who care for them every day.
16:54Amazing. Thank you so much, Tracy.
16:56Next, I'd like to welcome MPP, Chris Glover.
17:03Thank you for joining us.
17:05My name is Chris Glover. I'm the MPP for Spadina Fort York.
17:12I'm also a parent, I was a teacher, I was a school board trustee,
17:16and before becoming an MPP, I was a proud CUPE member.
17:23And like all the education workers who are here today,
17:26we went into education because we love kids.
17:29And today we have come to fight for kids, to fight for students,
17:32to fight for their future, because this government is failing them.
17:38This government has cut $1,500, oh, speech is right away.
17:45This government has cut $1,500 per student per year from our education system.
17:50They've increased the class sizes in secondary schools from 22 to 28.
17:54That led to 4,000 high school teachers being cut.
17:58They've cut tens of thousands of staff members from our schools.
18:02I was at a school last week, I was talking to a community youth worker,
18:06and he said that he keeps getting laid off,
18:09and then there'll be an incident at the school, and they'll bring him back in.
18:13They should not have to wait for an incident to bring community youth workers into our schools,
18:18and this government needs to provide the funding so that we have community youth workers and other
18:23staff to keep our students safe, and to keep our staff safe.
18:28So I want to thank CUPE for organizing this rally today.
18:31This is a bigger fight than we've ever faced in our schools.
18:36This government has seized control of our schools from the democratically elected trustees
18:42who have been running them since 1816, and their goal is to privatize the schools.
18:49I got involved in the late 90s when Mike Harris's Minister of Education said he wanted to create
18:55a crisis in our schools. This government is doing the same thing.
18:59They're creating a crisis in our schools in order to privatize the system,
19:04and our students and the education workers in the schools are paying the price of their political agenda.
19:10We need to push them off of that agenda. We need them to stand up and fight for our students
19:15to fund our schools so that our students have the futures that they are capable of.
19:20Thank you so much for allowing me to speak today.
19:30Now I have the honor of welcoming MPP Jessica Bell.
19:33I love the hugs. It's really nice.
19:41I'm Jessica Bell. I'm the MPP for University Rosedale, and I'm so proud to be standing with you here today.
19:50I'm a parent. My kids go to public schools, and as a parent and as an elected official,
19:55I am so concerned that some of the largest school boards in North America are running on a
20:01shoestring budget. That is a shame.
20:06You know, I don't think these decision-makers really understand exactly what is happening
20:12in our schools right now. We've got very large class sizes. You know, we heard today we've got
20:17evacuations. We've got violence against workers, against students. You know, we've got buildings that
20:25are not properly maintained. We've got workers that are burnt out, and it's only October. Your stories
20:31are very, very clear. Well, that should not be happening in Ontario today. It should not be happening.
20:38And I'd like to send a message to Paul Calandra and the Conservatives that we don't need to bring in
20:45supervisors that get paid over $300,000 a year.
20:49We need mental health workers. We need school board trustees. We need to send a message to
20:59Calandra and the Conservatives that we don't want taxpayer money spent on those silly partisan ads
21:05that they're putting on those schools saying they're fixing our schools and everything is fine.
21:10We just want our schools fixed. And we don't want these Conservatives to launch an attack on school
21:18board trustees and go after trustees because they took someone out and spent money on a milkshake.
21:25No. What we want is our schools to be properly funded, enough education workers and teachers in the
21:32classroom, and for our schools to be safe and excellent learning environments for workers and
21:38students. That is what we want. You know, Doug Ford, you know, he likes to take long vacations,
21:46so we are not going back until October 21, 20, October 20. But when we would go back on October 20,
21:54we are going to be standing with you and organizing and raising issues in the legislature because we
22:00expect good schools, we expect safe schools, and we're going to be organizing with you until we get that
22:06done. Thank you so much for having us. Thank you so much, Jessica. And last but certainly not least,
22:16please welcome CUPE Ontario President Fred Hawn.
22:25Let me start by saying thank you. Thank you to the education workers who every day,
22:32every day go to work, who make our schools better and stronger, who support our kids in some of the
22:39toughest environments. Thank you to all of you. You are heroes in our school.
22:50My name is Fred Hawn. I am the president of CUPE Ontario. There are 55,000 school board workers in
22:56every corner of Ontario. And they're all part of our union. I'm proud to be in that union with them.
23:02But they are part of a union that has over 300,000 members in municipalities and universities and
23:08hospitals and long-term care. And all of our members understand this to be true. Violence is not part of
23:15the job. I'm a social worker. I worked with kids with intellectual disabilities. I know that some of
23:28the behaviors that some young people engage in is out of frustration. Sometimes it's their way of
23:35communicating. And we know that if there were more of us, if there were more workers, if there were more
23:42supports for those kids, that they would be more successful. We know that the violence that is
23:49happening in our schools is not the fault of children, not the fault of workers.
23:57We have a provincial government. You know, I can't remember now. I think it was Jamie West
24:02who actually said the new crest of the Conservatives, you know? It's this. It's everybody else's fault.
24:09It must be somebody else's fault over there. It has to be the trustees' fault, right? No. No, it's not
24:14their fault. It has to be the workers' fault. They're not, you know, we're not doing our jobs. No.
24:19We know the truth. Six billion dollars is missing from our schools because of the Ford Conservatives.
24:29And so today, I'm so grateful that this rally helps to bring together people to make a clear message.
24:38This is the beginning of a campaign that will continue. It will continue until there is funding in
24:45our schools. It will continue until there are enough education workers in our schools. It will continue
24:50until our schools are actually what our kids need. And it doesn't matter. They think they've got power,
24:57the Ford Conservatives. What they don't understand is that there are more of us than there are of them.
25:03We just commissioned a poll. We asked people in the province of Ontario what they think is going on in
25:14schools. People see through this government. They know the crisis in schools is directly related to
25:22the underfunding of the Ford Conservative government. And so we're just about to start a convention with
25:31our national union. There will be over 2,000 delegates from coast to coast to coast there. We will join
25:39together with education workers in Ontario. We will fight together. We will win this battle because
25:47we are on the right side of history.
25:52Now, repeat after me, would you? Because I think it's really important for us to remember.
25:59We have to believe we can win this fight. So, I believe. I believe that. I believe that. I believe that. I believe that we. I believe that we. I believe that we will win. I believe that we will win. I believe that we will win.
26:16I believe that.
26:16The visibility means the world to our members, to our students. And I just want to thank each and every one of you for coming here today
26:25and making this visible and telling the Ford government that this is their fault. The underfunding, the understaffing, the dangerous schools that our workers are facing. Thank you very much for coming. We appreciate each and every one of you.
26:47There's burgers and hot dogs and food for all of you. Help yourselves. Enjoy.
26:53Enjoy. And a group photo. Before you get your lunch. Before you go for us. Everybody behind for a group photo, please.
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