CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador says the provincial government’s Education Accord “reeks of privatization.”

The interim report of the Education Accord was received last month, with the final document being due by the end of March.

Yesterday, CUPE announced that they have made a final submission to the provincial government’s Education Accord Advisory team and will no longer be participating in the process.

President Sherry Hillier notes that CUPE members aren’t teachers – they work in roles like custodians, maintenance workers, and bus drivers.

Hillier calls the interim document a “sprinkle of the Green Report” – referencing the 2021 report from the Economic Recovery Team – which unions were quick to criticize.

Hillier worries that the end result will be a further privatization of the education system – such as using P3s to build new schools, and the contracting out of services.

While she acknowledges that there are a lot of good ideas in the document, it provides a lot of “wiggle room” for the government to privatize their members’ jobs.