03/26/2026
Ontario’s Education Unions United: Budget Underscores Need for Early Bargaining
“Ontario families, teachers, and education workers continue to hear the Ford government claim that publicly funded education is benefiting from unprecedented investment. Inside schools, however, the reality is stark: our system is in crisis and the government’s proposed budget, which fails students, teachers, and education workers yet again, will only exacerbate the situation.
Chronic underfunding has led to large classes, rising violence, and an urgent need to address teacher and education worker retention and recruitment. Students with special education needs wait years for assessments and supports, while our members stretch themselves beyond reasonable limits to meet increasingly complex needs without the resources required. These are not signs of ‘historic’ investment, but the predictable outcomes of long-term neglect.
Despite the government’s messaging, per‑student funding (once adjusted for inflation) remains lower than when this government first took office. We remain ready to work constructively and to find solutions through the bargaining process as soon as the government is prepared to come to the table.”
Read the full joint statement issued by Ontario Education unions in response to the government's latest budget at https://www.etfo.ca/news-publications/media-releases/ontario%E2%80%99s-education-unions-united-budget-underscores-need-for-early-bargaining
