Education workers in Kingston joined more than 255,000 colleagues across Ontario on April 29, 2026, for a coordinated day of action to protest what they describe as chronic underfunding of the provincial school system. Participants in the region and throughout the province wore red and purple to draw attention to their concerns as current collective agreements for teachers and staff reach their expiration date on August 31, 2026.
The action was organized by five major provincial unions under the banner of Stronger Together: AEFO, ETFO, OECTA, CUPE-OSBCU, and OSSTF/FEESO. Union leadership is calling on the Minister of Education, Paul Calandra, to begin the bargaining process early to address issues such as class sizes and long-term funding.
For those working within the Limestone District School Board, which serves more than 20,500 students in Kingston, the day highlighted significant safety concerns. According to data shared by CUPE Local 1480, over 54 percent of Educational Assistants and Child and Youth Workers in the board report experiencing violent incidents, such as biting, kicking, or hitting, on a daily basis. Union representatives attribute these challenges to inadequate staffing levels and insufficient provincial funding.
While the provincial government reports record spending of $30.3 billion on education for the 2025-2026 year, unions dispute this figure. They argue that the total does not account for inflation or rising enrolment, citing a cumulative funding gap of $6.35 billion since 2018. As these groups prepare for upcoming contract talks, families in the community are watching the progress closely, particularly given that the previous round of bargaining in 2022 resulted in a strike that closed schools across the province for two days.
