Resistance Building to Ford Government's Anti-Social Offensive in Ontario

Students and Educators Take Up Their Social Responsibility

University of Windsor student walkout, March 20, 2019.

The working people and youth and students of Ontario are showing what they are made of in rising as one to reject the Ford government's latest assault on public education, and on those who provide it and the students who rely on it for a bright future.

Students to Walkout En Masse

On April 4, high school students across Ontario will hold walkouts to say No! to the Ford government's attacks on public education, which the government claims are in the name of students and designed to make them more "resilient." Students have set up a central Facebook page for coordinating their activities and listing their events here.

They have also launched a petition to make their views known, which is gaining thousands of signatures (see below).

Mass Rally at Ontario Legislature

On April 6, all the education unions in the K-12 sector have joined together to organize a mass rally at Queen's Park to defend public education. Everyone is encouraged to mark their calendars and go all out to bring all those concerned about the future of public education to the rally. See Facebook events page here.

College and University Students Hold Walkouts

University and college students already held walkouts and rallies across Ontario on March 20, to reject the Ford government's assault on post-secondary education and the students' unions ability to exist and organize.

University of Windsor

University of Toronto

K-12 Teachers and Education Workers Launch
Sustained Acts of Solidarity

OSSTF District 20 wear black shirts, March 18, 2019.

Since March 15 when the Ford government laid out its latest assault on public education, teachers and education workers have made it clear that they intend to fight for their rights and those of their students.

An announcement for educators and K-12 students was made on Friday, March 15, when many schools were on March Break. The following Monday, March 18, many educators came back to school wearing black to stand in solidarity. Then on the following Friday the Elementary Teachers, Catholic Teachers and Secondary School Teachers' federations called for their members to wear Red for Education, or Red for Ed on all Fridays going forward. This takes up similar regular actions called by teachers and education workers across the U.S., who have made red the symbol of their defence of public education.

High Park Toronto

Peel Region

CUPE 1238; Halton Region

Sarnia; Merlin

Political Protests at PC Party Activities

Protest in Essex, March 22, 2019.

A large protest was held by unions representing teachers and education workers and other workers outside a political event being held at the Walter Baker Centre in Nepean, Ontario on March 22. Premier Doug Ford as well as Education Minister Lisa MacLeod and other Ottawa area MPPs were hosting a dinner and had to face the lines of educators making their stands against the attacks on public education very clear.

In Essex, District 9 of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation and the Greater Essex local of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario organized a spirited protest outside a local golf and country club to defend public education. The Essex PC Riding Association was holding an "Essex Open for Business" Dinner with Minister of Economic Development Todd Smith and MPPs Rick Nicholls (Chatham-Kent-Leamington), Randy Pettapiece (Perth-Wellington), and Donna Skelly (Flamborough-Glanbrook).

On the same day Premier Ford made a provocative remark while in Nepean warning teachers and education workers that they had better think twice about protesting the government's attacks on education alleging this would "harm students." This shows clearly that in the name of protecting students the Ford government is seeking to prepare the ground to criminalize the political opposition of teachers and education workers as well as students in the name of "protecting students." The ongoing actions of students themselves to these attacks are exposing the Ford government as unfit to govern.

This article was published in

Number 11 - March 28, 2019