SUDBURY, ON — On Saturday, October 24, Ontario teachers and education workers will hold coordinated rallies in five cities across the province, united in the fight for Ontario’s publicly funded schools. 

Continuing a strong show of solidarity and coordinated action for collective bargaining in the education sector, five major education unions representing 255,000 workers are joining forces to organize rallies that bring together parents, families, and local community members in their respective city hubs with one common demand: invest in publicly funded education.

Alongside Sudbury’s local rally at Bell Park, large crowds will also be gathering at Queen’s Park in Toronto, Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Victoria Park in London, and Waverley Park in Thunder Bay. In addition to hearing from provincial and local leaders and education union representatives, parents and community members will share how underfunding and understaffing have affected our schools and how, together, we can fight for the publicly funded education system students deserve!

WHEN: Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. ET

WHERE: Bell Park, Paris St, Greater Sudbury

WHO:  

• Corry Allair, Local 5569 President, CUPE-Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) 
• Gundi Barbour, Vice-President, Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) 
• Chris Cowley, Ontario Teachers’ Federation Table Officer, Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA)
• Malini Leahy, Vice-President, Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) 
• Jessica Montgomery, President, Sudbury Labour Council
• Andrew Ranger, Local 57 President, Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO)

INTERVIEWS: Media are invited to attend Saturday’s Sudbury rally for on-site interviews with union leaders, teachers, education workers and other speakers. Local and provincial education leaders are also available for phone or virtual interviews in advance of October 24.

To book an advance interview, arrange on-site coverage, or request details on local rallies, contact:

Before October 24:

Michelle Despault, OECTA, 416-818-7533 or m.despault@catholicteachers.ca 

On October 24:

Zaher Hachimi, OECTA, 437-688-7457 or z.hachimi@catholicteachers.ca