Monthly anti-Ford protest rallies across Ontario have been ongoing since February 2026. The province-wide actions, originally started after Ford changed freedom of information laws to protect his phone records, have rallied outside MPP offices and in public squares decrying the Ford government’s corruption, cuts to OSAP and public services, shady business deals and lack of transparency. This month, organizers are coordinating to focus the protests to align with the education workers’ fight for public education.
Fight for education is key battle against Ford
Under the banner of “Fight for Education,” the Fight Ford province wide protests are aligning with the Ontario Education Coalition for a coordinated day of action on Saturday, August 29 with 49 local rallies already organized. The Ontario Education Coalition is aiming to build itself into a province-wide network of educators, parents and community members, working together to strengthen public education.
Led by parents of kids with additional needs who came together around Ontario Parents for Education Support, a Facebook group with 3.4K members focused on fighting educational support staff cuts, Ontario Education Coalition was formed in consultation with other parent activists and public education support groups. They are in close contact with teacher and education worker unions, and are trying to coordinate with them as best as possible.
ETFO, OECTA, OSSTF and OSBCU have all endorsed the protests and are encouraging their members to participate on August 29. This is a great development in the fight against Ford, focusing resistance to Ford on the fight for quality public education and support for education workers. On June 15, 2026, Ontario’s education unions began bargaining. L’Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO), Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), Ontario School Board Council of Unions (CUPE-OSBCU), the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO), and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO) represent 255,000 workers across school boards in Ontario and a potentially huge challenge to the Doug Ford privatization and underfunding regime.
Bargaining has stalled due to the government and the Council of Ontario Directors of Education’s (CODE) continued efforts to move issues and bargaining authority to the provincial level instead of the local level. The outstanding items for ETFO and OSBCU in dispute are being referred to the Ontario Labour Relations Board for arbitration to determine which items will be negotiated provincially and which will be negotiated centrally. This delay means two things. First, more time for education workers to continue to reach out to the public (and other workers) and inform them of the issues and inoculate them against Ford’s anti-worker propaganda. Second, it could potentially slow the momentum and take down the temperature as unions planned to mobilize members for big strike votes early in the new school year.
Building unity through action
In this context, an August 29 Day of Action to Fight for Education will be extremely important. The joint notice to bargain and the collaboration that started a few months back is a huge step forward from previous rounds of bargaining. We have also seen union members across the province take time in the summer to jointly canvas communities to build workers’ confidence, while informing the public of the issues at stake. We might not be exactly where we want to be, but the unity and political activity that we’ve seen so far inside and outside the unions is far ahead of where the education sector was last time. However, this unity is not guaranteed to continue and it will take pressure from union members and community members alike to maintain it in the face of Ford’s divisive tactics.
Ford is currently polling at his lowest numbers ever. His accumulated baggage of scandals, the weak economy, and crumbling public services are contributing to his sagging popularity. However, we’ve seen this before: despite fluctuating (and sometimes quite low) approval ratings, he has survived to win three majority governments. We need to solidify existing anti-Ford sentiment. Education is a weak point for Ford and his government, and is a potential place where he can be defeated. Even Conservatives don’t think they’re doing a great job (for example, the recent editorial in the National Post decrying the province’s handling of Special Education) and parents are upset about the very well-publicized job cuts. There is a need and an opportunity to organize this sentiment.
Seize the opportunity to defeat Ford
Education workers should make it a priority to be out on August 29 wearing their red and purple and looking to sign up the public on pledge cards and clipboards to be ready to face a fractious Ford government and secure a deal that invests in education. At the same time, let’s make it clear to those that want to fight Ford that supporting education workers may be the key to defeating him once and for all.
For parents and community members that want to join the fight for public education:
- Join the OEC WhatsApp
- Sign up as a lead for your community school
- Brainstorm parents in your personal networks to talk to about the stakes of these bargaining campaigns and ask them to be school leads.
- Use the regional channels to connect with others in your region who are already in OEC, and help them paint the province purple and red.
- Generate inspiring activity within the regional channels (photos of postering, leafleting, etc.)
- Help with phoning and follow up to school leads to help them build activity in their school community.
To find an action near you, visit www.protestdougford.com.
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