York Region public secondary school teachers' union on 1-day strike Dec. 18

Union members invite Education Minister Stephen Lecce to ‘join conversation’ on proposed changes to education

Yorkregion.com
December 18, 2019
Dina Al-Shibeeb

The York Region public secondary school teachers' union is heading for another one-day strike Dec. 18 to protest education cuts.

On its website, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation said teachers and education workers represented by the union "will take part in another one-day, full withdrawal of services in selected locations across Ontario".

Professional student service personnel such as social workers, occupational therapists and psychologists from York Catholic District School Board will also be striking.

OSSTF members will not only hold information pickets in front of schools, but will also be seen in the vicinity of MPP offices that are near York Region District School Board schools.

For instance, York-Simcoe MPP Caroline Mulroney's office is not near a school, so it will be unaffected, but the offices of King-Vaughan MPP Stephen Lecce, Newmarket-Aurora MPP Christine Elliott, Markham-Unionville MPP Billy Pang, Markham-Stouffville MPP Paul Calandra, and Vaughan-Woodbridge MPP Michael Tibollo are examples of locations where the striking union members will show up.

On Twitter, Sandy Glassford, OSSTF York Region president, invited Lecce, who is Education Minister, to "join the conversation" at his constituency office in King City.

Glassford said the talks would revolve around Lecce’s "proposed changes to education" and "vision for the future of education in Ontario".

The walkout is taking place after YRDSB union members held a one-day strike Dec. 4.

A limited withdrawal of services, or partial work-to-rule, also began Nov. 26 and will continue provincewide.

A mediator has said the union and the province are too far apart to reach a consensus on issues that include teachers’ salaries, larger class sizes and the mandatory e-learning courses.