My letter to Rick Byers ([email protected]):

Hi Rick,

I'm writing to you today to say that I am 100% opposed to your government tabling back-to-work legislation and especially the imposition of the notwithstanding clause. Today my children are stuck at home because their school has been closed due to your government's unwillingness to negotiate with Ontario's education workers.

My children are suffering because of the school closures, but it is unacceptable that the current government is not willing to negotiate a fair deal for the education workers who make schools safe, accessible and healthy learning environments.I am particularly sensitive to the poor treatment of our ECEs. My daughter has type 1 diabetes and she started JK this fall. Without the skill, care and commitment offered by her ECE, she would be unsafe in the school environment. She is too young to manage her sugar levels independently, yet it is critical for her blood sugar to be in target for her to be safe and to learn. Without my daughter's dedicated ECE, she would not be able to participate fully in class because she cannot learn when she is recovering from hypoglycemia (low sugar) or walking/biking in the school to lower her sugar due to hyperglycemia.

Our ECE allows my daughter to receive equitable treatment at school and as a result, my daughter is thriving and loves school. I stand with our ECE and all of the other education workers who are demanding fair wages for their important work. Shame on you and your government for not treating them with respect and honouring the work that they do for our children.

Education workers are historically underpaid. This is a moment, with the government in a healthy surplus position, when you should be negotiating in good faith and working towards an equitable settlement, listening to workers' concerns and being compassionate.

Please ask your government to stop before it's too late and come back to the table with a real effort to listen and work towards a reasonable settlement

Sincerely,

Sonja Ostertag, Owen Sound