TORONTO–Child care workers and early childhood educators (ECEs) at the Learning Enrichment Foundation (LEF) have overwhelmingly voted to join the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), signaling a significant step towards improved working conditions in the sector. Over 80 per cent of staff at the Learning Enrichment Foundation’s 25 Toronto locations supported unionization, a move driven by concerns over financial instability and ongoing workforce challenges within early childhood education.
This decision brings 314 ECEs and early childhood assistants (ECAs) at the Learning Enrichment Foundation into CUPE’s fold, joining over 5,000 child care professionals already represented by the union in Ontario. These union members are collectively advocating for enhanced wages, improved benefits packages, pension plans, and robust Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) protections.
Liisa Schofield, a CUPE Organizer, emphasized the importance of worker representation, stating, “Workers deserve a voice in decisions about how their workplaces operate.” She highlighted that the need for collective bargaining became evident when the Learning Enrichment Foundation announced pay cuts for educators during the summer. “By organizing and joining CUPE, employees at the Learning Enrichment Foundation will now have a voice in their workplace and a seat at the negotiating table to secure a fair first contract,” Schofield added.
The implementation of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program, a federally funded initiative, has seen inconsistent progress across different provinces. While provinces like Nova Scotia have committed to defined pension plans for child care workers and British Columbia has established a fully funded wage grid, Ontario has lagged behind. Consequently, the compensation and working conditions for child care workers in Ontario are falling behind other regions, hindering the sustainable growth of early education and care in the province. Attracting and retaining qualified early childhood educators is becoming increasingly difficult, with projections estimating a shortage of 8,500 ECEs in Ontario by 2026 as professionals leave the sector due to a lack of viable career prospects.
Christina Gilligan, associate coordinator for CUPE’s child care sector and a former ECE, pointed out the government’s inaction, stating, “The government has stubbornly refused to implement the changes needed to address the workforce crisis.” She asserted that “Unions are the way forward. Through unions, workers can push for the jobs and compensation they need and the investments in public services that families absolutely deserve.”
CUPE is dedicated to promoting quality, affordable, publicly funded child care and extending union protection to all child care workers. This commitment empowers them to collectively bargain for better lives and contribute to the improvement of the early learning sector. The unionization at the Learning Enrichment Foundation represents a crucial step forward in this ongoing effort to strengthen the early childhood education landscape in Ontario.
Contact:
Stella Yeadon
CUPE Communications
416-559-9300
[email protected]
