CUPE Ontario condemns firings and suspensions at Bowmore Road school

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CUPE Ontario condemns the firing of two educators and the suspension of six others at Bowmore Road Junior and Senior Public School, which will affect more than 200 students.

“Firing and suspending education workers for raising legitimate concerns is outrageous, and frankly illegal” said Fred Hahn, president of CUPE Ontario. “While there are grievances that will, we trust, see this ridiculous decision reversed, there can be no doubt that this is a clear, and devious attempt to intimidate workers ahead of school board negotiations. Enough – reinstate these educators and stop playing politics with young people in our schools.”

All workers in the public, Catholic, French and English school systems across the province begin negotiations for renewed collective agreements later this year including CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) representing 60,000 support staff, education workers who are key to student success.

The TDSB was placed under provincial supervision in June 2025. Since then, the supervisor has made significant changes, including firing the director of education, and lifting the cap on class sizes for grades 4 to 8, that was put in place by trustees for 2025-2026 school year.

“The systematic underfunding of our public school system by the Ford Conservatives is resulting in school violence rising, all education workers being stretched to the breaking point, and young people having fewer and fewer supports at schools across Ontario,” said Yolanda McLean, CUPE Ontario’s Secretary-Treasurer. “Our ETT siblings should be praised, not punished for speaking out. What’s happening at Bowmore is part of a wider crisis spurred on by Ford’s Trumpian attempts to control Ontario’s public services. Schools, OMERS, privatization of water, private health care, the list goes on.”

CUPE Ontario stands with Elementary Teachers of Toronto members and the Bowmore school community.

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