Elementary and secondary school teachers could be in a legal position to strike sometime in October.
Just like the Liberals used to do.”The one-day strike by teachers showed, albeit in a limited way, the tremendous social power they have and the high levels of popular support they enjoy for their just demands. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation says it will hold a “province-wide full withdrawal of services’’ on Wednesday, Dec. 4, if a new deal isn’t reached before then. {* forgotPassword_sendButton *} This could be a strike, a rotating strike, or a “work-to-rule” action where workers refuse to do anything beyond the minimum requirements of their contract.
After the previous education minister, who was ultimately demoted, opened the door to changes to the program, the government later committed to “full-day learning” – phrasing that doesn’t ease the union’s fears.Education Minister Stephen Lecce said Friday the government’s team remains committed to reaching a negotiated deal with the elementary teachers.“While our government has been a reasonable and constructive force at the bargaining table … ETFO has taken another escalating step towards a strike which will disproportionately hurt our kids,” Lecce said in a statement.High school teachers and teachers in the English Catholic system are also in the process of holding strike votes, with results expected in the next couple of weeks.This round of bargaining has been tense, as it comes amid the government’s attempts to impose caps on wage increases and increase class sizes, which will mean thousands of fewer teachers in the system.Major education unions have been critical of the government’s overall direction since taking power last year, including moves to increase high school class sizes from an average of 22 to 28, boost class sizes for Grades 4 to 8 from 23 students to 24, mandate e-learning courses and reduce per-student funding to boards.Lecce has recently said he has offered in talks with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation to scale back the increase in high school class sizes to 25.NDP critic Marit Stiles said the current labour strife is due to Ford’s “deep cuts” to education. So, it’s more than just money.
Local branches of the CUPE union will start holding votes Sept. 3.
“Historically in the school board system, they don’t tend to last long.”When her non-teaching workers did a work-to-rule action in 2015, it lasted between four and six weeks, Walton said.High school teachers in Durham, Sudbury and Peel also after three weeks and teachers were forced back to work. {* createAccountButton *} According to the OSSTF, wage freezes and cuts imposed by successive Liberal and Tory provincial governments mean that between 2009 and 2018, teachers’ wages fell by 6.5 percent in real terms.As a striker explained to our reporter, “One percent a year?
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Two, 2.5 percent? Public elementary teachers and education workers in Ontario have voted 98 per cent in favour of a strike, with their union calling the result an overwhelming mandate for job action if they deem it necessary. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff.
{* legalAcceptanceAcceptButton *} It’s an attack on free collective bargaining.
Last summer, the premier recalled the legislature that slashed the number of councillors on Toronto City Council. Ontario teachers strike against government assault on public education By our reporters 6 December 2019 Over 60,000 Ontario public high school teachers and school support staff joined a … The plan is part of the government’s drive to cut teaching jobs, since each course would consist of up to 35 students, a significantly higher number than standard classes. Ontario’s public high school teachers plan one-day strike on Dec. 4 if no deal is reached November 29, 2019 Ontario elementary, high school teachers start work-to-rule campaigns If you are looking to give feedback on our new site, please send it along to To view this site properly, enable cookies in your browser. What’s inflation? When he was asked last week, the premier indicated that his government is already plotting to criminalize future strike action.The government’s “concessions” amount to nothing more than a repackaging of its austerity drive.
Over 95 percent of the members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF), the union that called Wednesday’s walkout, voted in favour of strike action last month, expressing their deep opposition to the Tories’ demands for a substantial increase in class sizes, a cut in real wages, and deep cuts to local education funding.At picket lines across the province, passing motorists honked their horns in support. Thank you for your patience.
Union president Sam Hammond said Friday his members are concerned about class size, class structure, violence in classrooms, and the preservation of the current full-day kindergarten model.Almost every issue has become a sticking point in the negotiations, he said.“The results of those strike votes show that our members are overwhelmingly behind their central bargaining team and expect, absolutely expect, the government to get serious at the bargaining table,” Hammond said.He would not lay out a timeline for a potential strike, but said the union would meet with a conciliator on Monday.Premier Doug Ford, meanwhile, told the Toronto radio station NewsTalk1010 he was not surprised by the results of the vote but would not negotiate with the union in public.“It sends a pretty clear message to the parents, and everyone in Ontario, they want to escalate this and we’re trying to turn down the heat,” he said.Hammond wouldn’t talk about specific salary expectations, but government legislation that would limit wage increases for public sector workers looms over the negotiating table.“Bill 124 is extremely problematic and I’ll say offensive,” Hammond said.
This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff.We aim to create a safe and valuable space for discussion and debate. Reporter, HuffPost Canada