Speaker, to the Premier: Over the last few days, many Ontarians have written to New Democrat MPPs to share stories of the role that education workers play in supporting kids in our schools. The common thread in all of them is that, despite the best efforts of this government to starve our education system of resources, the quality of kids’ education is being protected because of the hard work of education workers and teachers.

At the end of the day, it’s our kids who are going to pay the price if this Premier and his minister don’t get back to the bargaining table. Will the government commit to scrapping Bill 28 and bargaining in good faith today?

Interjections.

Again to the Premier: Let’s be clear, if this government cared about children in our schools, they wouldn’t beat up on the people who are looking after them.

Yesterday was a dark day for Ontario workers. Bill 28 not only disrespects education workers but also tramples their collective bargaining rights by imposing a contract, denying them the right to strike and levying fines against those who dare defy the Premier’s orders. This government’s use of the “notwithstanding” clause is massive overreach and a clear message to workers that their concerns just don’t matter.

New Democrats call on this government to reverse course, withdraw Bill 28 and return to the bargaining table to bargain in actual good faith. Will the government commit to doing that today?

Speaker, my question to the Premier: Yesterday, Ontario’s lowest-paid education workers—educational assistants, custodians and early childhood educators—told the government to get serious about negotiating a fair deal. But instead of respecting the process, today the education minister will move to impose a contract on these workers and ban their right to strike. His actions have brought us to the brink of disruption in our schools. He is creating an unnecessary crisis for families and for education workers.

Will the Premier stop these reckless actions and get back to the bargaining table today?

Education workers are integral to our schools, but because of chronically low wages, half have been forced to take a second job just to make ends meet, and a quarter have either cut back on purchasing food or have had to use a food bank. Does the Premier think it’s acceptable to pay education workers so little that they have to rely on food banks?

Last year, the government posted a $2.1-billion surplus, and the Financial Accountability Office has projected that this government will run surpluses for the next six years, totalling about $25 billion. But at the bargaining table, the minister says the cupboard is bare for Ontario’s lowest-paid education workers. Education workers support students and schools every day, but this government would rather cry poor than pay them a fair wage and protect education.

Why is this government so intent on shortchanging our schools and our education workers?