Catholic teachers vote 97.1 per cent in favour of strike action

Thestar.com
Nov. 14, 2019
Kristin Rushowy

Ontario’s Catholic teachers have voted 97.1 per cent in favour of strike action.

The results, released Wednesday by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, come more than a week after the recent strike vote of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario where a record 98 per cent approved.

OECTA announced the province-wide strike vote late last month after President Liz Stuart said the union was frustrated with talks with the Ontario government and had “reached a critical juncture in the bargaining process.”

“The message we have sent to the government is loud and clear: Catholic teachers will not accept any agreement that would be detrimental to learning and working conditions in our schools,” said Stuart.

“The government will try to portray this as teachers escalating tensions, but the reality is they have created this situation by continuing to pursue their reckless cuts to education,” she said.

That mandate is yet another sign of rocky times ahead with the province’s teachers. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation is in a legal strike position as of next Monday and public elementary teachers on Nov. 25.

Unions have to give five days’ notice of any impending job action.

“We aren’t making any announcement today,” said Harvey Bischof, president of the secondary teachers’ union -- which means no job action on Monday.

Stuart said teachers need to fight the “reckless cuts” of Premier Doug Ford government.

All teacher unions continue to negotiate with the government, and in some cases also represent early childhood educators and some support staff.

The government has already announced it is boosting class sizes starting in Grade 4 -- especially in high school where the average size was to move from 22 to 28 students over the next four years, shedding thousands of teaching jobs and limiting course options and class selections for students.

However, Education Minister Stephen Lecce recently announced the province was willing to boost secondary classes to an average of 25, but eliminate local class caps for certain subjects.

The province also wants to introduce four mandatory online courses in high school. Both the moves are highly unpopular with the public, and students.

Lecce has said that wage increases are a key issue and that to give teachers a 2 per cent raise -- roughly equal to the cost of living -- would cost $1.5 billion a year and that he would rather that money directly benefit students.

In a statement, the minister said “OECTA is escalating at a time parents want us to focus on getting a deal that provides predictability for families.”

“Strike action caused by unions could mean school closures, disruption, and uncertainty for students and parents. I support a deal, not a strike,” said Lecce, noting the government negotiated a settlement with support workers in the Canadian Union of Public Employees last month.

“Our team remains unequivocal in our determination to land deals with our labour partners, as we did successfully with CUPE, to provide predictability and certainty to parents, and to keep our kids in the classroom.”

Last week, the government passed legislation capping public sector raises at one per cent a year, which the teacher unions have vowed to fight in court.

The elementary teachers’ union has said the government is proposing millions in concessions, including the loss of a $50 million fund to hire more special education teachers, and has been unwilling to commit to the current full-day kindergarten program staffing model.

Bischof has said the province only landed a deal with the Canadian Union of Public Employees’ school staff unit once it had a strong strike mandate and began work-to-rule.