ONTARIO – Education workers across the province are voicing their frustrations with the low wages they say many of them earn. People working in the education sector, including custodians, secretaries, and education assistants, are speaking up online, using the hashtag #39kIsNotEnough.
“Education workers meet all our children’s educational needs. But because we pay them only $39,000 on average, thousands are on the brink of poverty. Tell Doug Ford that $39,000 is not enough…for education workers or anyone,” reads a website dedicated to the protests.
Their website also outlines a list of demands, including:
- Improve the quality of education
- Better meet students’ needs with increased help from educational assistants, early childhood educators, youth workers and more
- Ensure enough clerical workers to run schools safely and smoothly
- Keep all school libraries open for students
- Guarantee healthier cleaning standards and tackle maintenance backlogs
- Keep wages above the poverty line, especially under current inflation pressures
Calling for immediate action, those protesting the low wages have also outlined how this issue disproportionately affects female employees, who make up 70% of workers with the union.
“Women education workers are more likely to be in positions with a lower annual income than men. For example, 89.9% of women earn less than $50,000 per year, compared to 60.9% of men according to a recent CUPE education worker survey. What’s more, 98% of women earn less than $60,000 per year compared to 91.1% of men,” they shared.
They also shared that 51% of employees reported taking on additional jobs to make ends meet, while 27% say they’ve cut back on food to combat their low wages.
Support for Education Workers Online
Online, people are sounding off, using the hashtag #39KIsNotEnough. Here’s what they’re saying.
“Wearing my purple for Education Workers because #39kIsNotEnough ! #CatholicTeachers stand in solidarity with our @osbcucscso colleagues!” shared one educator.
“It isn’t about the wage gap, it’s about the government discriminating against female-dominated professions. CUPE is an example. Elementary teachers are another. Add nurses to the list. I could go on. #39kIsNotEnough” tweeted another woman.
Politicians have also taken a stand of solidarity, wearing purple in support of protesting education workers.
Let us know in the comments, how do you feel about this?
