Two local unions are reporting that the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board will be cutting 25 jobs in the upcoming school year.
CUPE 3396 and the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) state that 19 of these positions are due to a loss in student support funding. This includes seven child and youth workers, seven educational assistants, and five clerical roles.
Additionally, they mention that six more positions are affected by changes to the board’s protected complement as a result of shifts in enrollment. This group includes one speech and language pathologist and five designated early childhood educators.
“Our members have been devastated by these cuts,” Marcia Matthews, president of CUPE 3396, writes in a statement.
“Many affected members have been forced into lower classifications, while others have gone from 12-month to 10-month positions, resulting in significant pay cuts. These are dedicated education workers who have supported students for years, and they deserve better.”
CUPE 3396 represents about 1,200 full-time, part-time, and supply education workers at the HWCDSB.
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The unions claim that the board has linked these job losses to a reduction in funding from the provincial government’s Support for Students Fund.
However, they argue that ministry funding documents show this fund will continue through the 2026-27 school year and instruct boards to use it as intended.
“At the same time, the HWCDSB is projected to see modest enrollment growth while overall provincial funding for the board is expected to rise by about 1.2 percent. This raises further questions about why these cuts are happening,” says their statement.
“Our members and the families they support deserve clear answers. If this funding continues, then the board needs to explain why these positions are being eliminated,” Matthews adds in her statement.
CUPE 3396 and OSBCU are urging the province to adequately fund education and asking HWCDSB to reverse these job cuts immediately.
CHCH News has reached out to HWCDSB for comment but hasn’t received any response yet.
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