Ontario public high school teachers to walk off job again

Torontosun.com
Jan. 6, 2020
Antonella Artuso

Ontario public high school teachers will hold another one-day strike Wednesday at designated school boards including Peel District.

Just over 41,400 students attend the 42 public secondary schools operated by the Peel District School Board in Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga.

This will be the fourth rotating strike day by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF).

Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the on-going job action is unfair to students and their families.

“Parents have been clear: Strikes by unions hurt kids and that investments should go to support student success, not towards enhanced compensation,” Lecce said in a statement Friday. “We agree with Ontario parents. This is why we will continue to vigorously champion the interests of students and seek stability for parents in 2020, who are frustrated and tired of the union-led escalation that began in 2019.”

On Friday, OSSTF announced its members will engage in a full withdrawal of services Wednesday at the following school boards: Algoma, Huron-Superior Catholic, Greater Essex County, Avon Maitland, Peel, Niagara, Limestone and Renfrew County.

Dozens of French-language schools will also be impacted by OSSTF strike activities.

“After more than eight months of negotiations, the minister of education is still committed to the Doug Ford agenda of larger class sizes, mandatory e-learning, and the ongoing erosion of crucial supports and services our most vulnerable students rely on for an equitable chance to succeed,” OSSTF president Harvey Bischof said in a statement.

“Our job action next Wednesday will affect some school boards for one day, but the Ford government’s policies, if we are not able to reverse them, will continue to create chaos in the education system for years to come. Ontario students deserve better, and that is exactly what we’re fighting for.”

Lecce has said the price tag for OSSTF’s demands could hit $7 billion if spread across all publicly funded, unionized education workers.

The government has capped public sector compensation increases at 1%.

Bischof said teachers and education workers want a cost-of-living increase to pay and benefits, and want to preserve smaller classrooms.

The OSSTF is also fighting a new policy by the government that calls for students to complete two online courses to graduate high school.