‘It’s the last resort’: York Region elementary school teachers hold strike Jan. 20

Provincial government offers $25 to $60 per day to parents for every day schools closed for strikes

Jan. 15, 2020
Yorkregion.com
Dina Al-Shibeeb

 Elementary school teachers will be picketing Jan. 20 at 25 different sites in York Region, the local union president said.

All York Region District School Board elementary schools will be closed for the day, the board confirmed.

However, daycares operating at schools are anticipated to operate normally, YRDSB added, but emphasized, "Please confirm with your daycare provider".

"This is the absolutely the last resort for professionals who are defending their livelihood and the interest of public education," David Clegg, president of Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario's York Region branch, said of the strike.

A major issue for ETFO teachers is that the government isn't guaranteeing the continuation of the full-day kindergarten program unless teachers "give up on salaries and benefits", Clegg said.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce hasn't been honest with the public, Clegg said.

"Specifically, he has lied about guaranteeing the future of the full-day kindergarten program, when he has claimed that it’s safe while at the same time, the government bargaining team has demanded concessions from ETFO in order to protect the FTK program.”

If taken, this strike action will be part of rotating strikes by ETFO locals.

In November, 98% of ETFO members gave their union a mandate for central strike action should it be needed during ETFO’s central bargaining negotiations.

Collective agreements for all ETFO members expired on August 31, 2019.

ETFO represents 83,000 elementary public school teachers, occasional teachers and education professionals across the province.

Meanwhile, Lecce announced Jan. 15 the government's plan to offer parents up to $60 per day if strike actions close schools or school-based child care centres.

"Our aim has always been to reach a negotiated settlement that keeps kids in class, which we have done successfully with multiple labour partners to date," Lecce said. "We recognize the impact of union escalation on families is real, and unions expect hard-working families to bear the costs of their cyclical labour action."

Specifically, the government is offering the following payments to parents, retroactive to the first rotating strike action taken by teachers this school year:

• $60 per day for children age six and younger who are not enrolled in school, but attend a school-based child care centre that must be closed due to a strike;

• $40 per day for students in kindergarten;

• $25 per day for students in grades 1 to 7;

• $40 per day for students with special needs in kindergarten to Grade 12.

It’s not only ETFO taking job action next week, as Ontario’s English Catholic elementary and secondary teachers will hold a provincewide one-day withdrawal of services Jan. 21.

Filomena Ferraro, president of OECTA for York Region, said there will be 90 picket locations.

“Every Catholic school in York Region will have a picket location except for Prince of Peace CES, Sir Richard Scott CES, St. Anne CES, St. Bernadette CES, St. Kateri Tekakwitha CES, St. Luke Learning Center, St. Matthew CES, St. Paul CES, and St. Rene Goupil CES,” Ferraro said.

“Teachers at these schools will be located at another school,” she added.

Protesting is also expected in front of Lecce’s office as well as Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation.

First time in 20 years

This is the first time in more than 20 years that all of Ontario’s four school unions are engaged in a job action.

"This is extremely unusual and I don’t remember another time since 1997 that there has been an occurrence like this," said Harvey Bischof, president of the 60,000-member Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation.

Bischof recalled that in 1997, members of the then-five teacher unions held a political protest, staying off the job for two weeks -- despite the fact they were not in a legal strike position -- after the Conservative government under Mike Harris made major changes in education, including removing principals and vice-principals from unions and taking taxing powers away from school boards.

The latest job action comes after the Toronto Star reported Jan. 13 on a "confidential" government document it received showing the Tory government considered keeping online learning optional until 2024, but changed its mind, and planned to slash school board funding while creating online courses to sell to other jurisdictions at a profit.

Clegg wondered if there are any "other secret documents".