A Statement on Ontario Education Workers and Collective Bargaining

As a candidate for KPR School Board Trustee and a proud OPSEU member I want to be clear about where I stand.

Teachers and education workers show up every day for Peterborough's students, often in conditions that are more demanding, more under-resourced, and more physically and emotionally taxing than most people outside the classroom understand. They deserve fair treatment at the bargaining table. I won't comment on the specific terms being negotiated , that's not my place as a candidate and it would be inappropriate for someone who may soon be sitting on the employer side of a collective agreement.

But I will say this clearly: a fair deal for education workers is a good deal for students. When teachers have manageable workloads they know their students better. When educational assistants are paid fairly and work in safe conditions they stay in the profession. When support staff feel valued by their employer they bring that energy into the buildings where our kids spend their days.

These aren't competing interests. They are the same interest, a well-supported workforce producing better outcomes for the students they serve. As a union member, I know what it means to have someone at the table fighting for you. As your trustee I intend to be the person at the board table who understands that dynamic, not as a political position but as lived experience.

To every teacher, educational assistant, and education support worker in Peterborough's schools, I see the work you do, I respect it and I'll fight for the conditions that let you do it well.