Elementary teachers plan province-wide strike votes, as negotiations continue with province and school boards

Thestar.com
Sept. 12, 2019
Kristin Rushowy

Ontario’s elementary teachers will be voting on whether they support strike action, as negotiations continue with the school boards and provincial government.

In a statement sent to the 83,000 members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), President Sam Hammond says “mass meetings” will be held this month and next to discuss key issues and find out levels of support for job action.

In a telephone interview, Hammond said the union has “no intent to utilize or implement that strike vote in terms of a work-to-rule or a strike -- this is simply to get a strong mandate from our members” and to affirm the union’s positions.

The sides have already met a few times -- Hammond said discussions are “respectful, and are going well so far” -- and more dates are planned.

Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Boards Association, said “our goal is to negotiate a collective agreement that is fair, fiscally responsible, and most importantly, gives every Ontario student access to the best possible education.”

She said the association “will continue to negotiate in good faith with ETFO over the coming weeks.”

In his Wednesday statement to teachers, Hammond listed the union’s bargaining priorities, including “more support for students with special needs, class size and class structure, the protection of full-day kindergarten and fair and transparent hiring practices.”

Contracts for teachers and staff in the province’s publicly funded education system ended in August. The Canadian Union of Public Employees’ school board unit, which represents 55,000 workers, has filed for a no-board report and is currently holding strike votes.

The earliest CUPE workers, including custodians, special education assistants and clerical staff, could be in a position for job action -- a work-to-rule or strike -- is the week of Sept. 23.

“Nobody wants to see an interruption to the school year -- not teachers, education staff, unions, parents, students or even the Ford government,” said Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner, urging Education Minister Stephen Lecce to “act on his new positive tone with a meaningful commitment to good faith negotiations.”