By Joëlle Arianna Staropoli
Interviews and photos by Racine Bebamikawe
Originally Published to Year 2 TMU JRN 270 on November 22, 2022
CUPE members and supporters fight for rights in a time of financial instability causing the Ford government to rescind Bill 28.
Education workers rallied together in Toronto on Tuesday to fight the Ford government’s implementation of the non-withstanding clause.
“This law needs to be defied. Not just by the education workers, but by the entire labour movement because if you think that it's only going to apply to education workers, they'll use it against teachers, against nurses, against hospital workers, against anybody.” said Joel Bergman, an advocate for Fight Back Magazine.
The non-withstanding clause is also known as Section 33 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The clause allows parliament and provincial legislatures to overrule sections of the charter for up to a five-year term.
Sandra Cadeau, the OPSEU/ SEFPO Board of Education Sector chair advocated for her members at the rally.
“We have members, predominantly seventy-five percent are female, they're parents,” said Cadeau, “Many of our members actually work two or three jobs. That's the reality. Some actually can't even afford rent or housing. Some are living in shelters.”
The rally has created an opportunity to unite various sectors of the labour movement as many believe they are no longer being paid a livable wage with inflation in Toronto.
“We believe in student and worker solidarity forever because we have shared goals of fighting inflation, fighting repressive processes, fighting capitalism, and we can only win if we unite together to fight against those,” said Sandra Guevara, a student at Toronto Metropolitan University.
After passing the bill on Thursday, the Ford government announced Monday that it will rescind Bill 28.
