CUPE latest group to back out of N.L. Education Accord, warning of creeping privatization
CUPE N.L. president Sherry Hillier says she will no longer sit on the Education Accord's advisory board, over worries the government is dismantling the province's public education system.
Hillier said the decision stems from a recent interim report from the group.
"You can see the writing on the wall. It's talking privatization and cutting back of public sector jobs. It's a little sprinkle of the Green report, which reeked of privatization similar to the Health Accord, Education Accord," Hillier told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show.
CUPE N.L.'s withdrawal from the group follows Memorial University's Faculty Association president Josh Lepawsky announcement in January that he was stepping away.
"We did reach out to MUNFA and talked to them on their concerns — basically, same as ours. And after much deliberation and getting the interim report, we felt it was just very fitting that we walk away from this," said Hillier.
CUPE N.L. also walked away from the Health Accord following an interim report.
Threat of P3 model
Hillier said she's worried government will build schools using a public-private partnership, known as a P3 model. She said the newly opened Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner Brook, built with a P3 approach, should have had 200 beds but instead has 160 beds.
She worries if the new Kenmount Terrace school is built on the P3 model, it won't be built to serve the necessary number of students.
Her concerns over the future of N.L.'s education system go beyond just the K-12 education system and into post-secondary. She said CUPE N.L. would have given Memorial University a "failing grade" because of the hiring freeze announced late last year.
"We know that the facility is falling down. There's actually a committee started up [at the] university called Fund MUN," said Hillier.
She said MUN is eliminating jobs and people are retiring due to stress.
"Is government going to look at making Memorial University a private university," she said.
CBC News has asked Minister of Education Krista Lynn Howell for an interview.
Voicing concerns
violence in schools, and keeping jobs like driving school buses in the public sector.
CUPE N.L. has approximately 1,000 members who work in the K-12 education system, in roles like custodians, secretaries and some bus drivers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Amid destructive C.B.N. wildfire, new concerns emerge about rebuilding effort
As the Kingston wildfire continues to ravage Conception Bay North — destroying at least 203 structures — a construction industry veteran says there will be challenges ahead once rebuilding begins. David Milley worked in the construction industry for 40 years. The Blackhead resident was also among those forced to flee as the Kingston wildfire spread through the region. He said cleaning up and rebuilding after the devastation will be a major undertaking. "There's not enough manpower on the shore to build all the houses that will be required in a quick period of time. Most of the crews out there can probably build a couple of turnkey houses a year at best," he told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show. "To do 100 homes, that would be next to impossible with the amount of labour that's available." He said rebuilding will require help from other regions, but companies are already busy with other work. "There's going to be a lot of help needed," he said. One of the structures destroyed in the fire was Cabot Academy, an elementary school in Western Bay. Milley hopes the school will be rebuilt, but he said building a school is a major project. Cleaning up the site could take weeks, and the planning process could take about a year. Cabinet committee convened Earlier this week, Premier John Hogan announced a cabinet committee to help Conception Bay North communities recover. Seniors Minister Jamie Korab will chair the committee. He said it will take a multi-pronged approach on issues such as water treatment, roads and schools. Korab said the government was committed to doing "what is needed to get this region up and running." For now, Milley is staying in St. John's with friends. He said he knows people are looking at renting homes in the short term because they don't know if they have a home to return to, or how long it will take to rebuild. Insurance claims Insurance Brokers Association of Newfoundland and Labrador president Bill Buckingham said there have already been a few claims as a result of the Kingston fire. "Of course, we've had more inquiries than claims at this point," he said. "People are asking, 'What should I do? How do I open a claim? When can I open a claim?' So, those are the calls that we're getting now. As these fires hopefully subside very quickly, I'm sure we'll be seeing more." If a homeowner knows their home has been destroyed, Buckingham said the first step should be to call their insurance broker and review their coverage. "You must be 100 per cent sure that you've actually had the loss." He advised people to wait to make the call until they received confirmation they've lost their home.
Ottawa Citizen
2 days ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Randy Hillier's charge for COVID-19 lockdown protest in Cornwall withdrawn
The legal road for charges filed under the Reopening Ontario Act against former independent MPP Randy Hillier for an anti-lockdown protest in Cornwall came to an end Tuesday. Article content Hillier had contested the constitutionality of the charges filed against him for his involvement in a protest in Cornwall on May 1, 2021, and was vindicated by the Ontario Court of Appeal on April 7. It ruled in his favour in determining the restrictions on gatherings such as the protest in Cornwall violated the Charter right to peaceful assembly; the court said the Ontario Superior Court judge who'd heard Hillier's challenge erred in going too broadly on consideration of whether the restrictions were an acceptable limitation. Article content Article content Article content Given the appeal court's decision, the lingering matter of Hillier's provincial-offence charge filed in 2021 required a formal resolution. Article content Article content Assistant Crown attorney Claudette Breault told Ontario Court of Justice Justice of the Peace Linda Leblanc the Crown was withdrawing the charge. Breault referenced a provincial-offences court appearance scheduled for Brockville on Wednesday — Hillier faced the same charge under the Reopening Ontario Act for another protest in that region — and told the Cornwall court that charge was also being withdrawn. Article content While Crown attorneys rarely provide the rationale for why a charge is withdrawn, in this matter the Ontario Court of Appeal's ruling on the unconstitutionality of the restrictions against public gatherings under the Reopening Ontario Act essentially rendered this prosecution moot. Article content Article content Chris Fleury represented Hillier Tuesday, he has appeared on Hillier's behalf in Cornwall court several times through his association with the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms to request adjournments as his colleagues were preparing and arguing the challenges before the Ontario Superior Court and Ontario Court of Appeal. Both parties appeared in court via video conference. Article content Article content The Tuesday withdrawal brings an end to the charges laid against seven people after the May 1, 2021, protest of pandemic restrictions that took place on the grounds of the Eastern Ontario Health Unit in Cornwall. Article content As to his co-defendants who were also charged, their cases reached a conclusion between 2022 and 2024. Article content Kristen Nagle's charge was withdrawn by Crown attorney Alan Findlay in March 2024. Caitlyn Richer's charge was withdrawn in November 2023. The charges filed against Jason Christoff, Sandra Maurais, Gary Jans, and Sarah Choujounian were withdrawn in December 2022. Article content 'They have either done community service work, or the fact of being charged and going through the court process was deemed sufficient,' Findlay said in a March 2023 email in response to inquiries on the status of some of the cases and withdrawals at that time. 'The significant age of their charge was a factor.' Article content
Montreal Gazette
7 days ago
- Montreal Gazette
CUPE NL Stands in Solidarity with Air Canada Flight Attendants
CUPE NL Stands in Solidarity with Air Canada Flight Attendants For more information, please contact: Sherry Hillier President, CUPE Newfoundland & Labrador 709-765-2996 Taylor Johnston CUPE Atlantic Communications Representative tjohnston@ Haseena Manek CUPE Atlantic Communications Representative hmanek@ CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador stands in solidarity with flight attendants employed by Air Canada and demands the government respect their right to strike. "It's absolutely disgraceful that so much necessary and vital work flight attendants do before and after each and every flight is unpaid," said CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador President Sherry Hillier. "No one should be working for free. Full stop." Flight attendants are only paid when the plane is moving, and work as many as 35 unpaid hours a week performing vital duties that ensure the safe and smooth operation of each flight. Now, instead of paying flight attendants for the work they do, Air Canada is threatening to lock out their employees and disrupt the travel plans of thousands of Canadians. Our elected representatives must support workers' rights to free and fair negotiations and collective job action. These rights are protected under both federal and provincial legislation and have been affirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada. If our lawmakers at the highest level have determined the right to strike to be "indispensable," Air Canada must respect that. "Air Canada is manufacturing a crisis instead of coming to the table and bargaining in good faith," continued Hillier. "It's clear they hope the federal government will step in just like they did with Canada Post and force flight attendants back to work. We can't let that happen. We need to stand with flight attendants, as we do with all workers, and protect our Charter guaranteed right to strike." :so/cope491 This story was originally published August 14, 2025 at 3:34 PM.
