WELLINGTON COUNTY – The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) is set to begin work-to-rule job action on Nov. 26.
“We’ll withdraw from ministry and school board administrative activates,” local ETFO president Gundi Barbour told the Advertiser. “That means that teachers will have more time to focus on working with students.
“The idea is that we can heat up on premier (Doug) Ford and (Minister of Education) Stephen Lecce and then they’ll come to the contract talks prepared to address the real issues and concerns.”
Those concerns include more supports for students with special needs, protection of the kindergarten program and critical issues like addressing violence in schools.
Specific job action has not yet been announced by the ETFO, which has been without a collective agreement since Aug. 31.
Services to be withdrawn on Nov. 26 could include:
– attending meetings;
– participation in professional learning or training;
– completion and filing of report cards;
– responding to emails.
“It is disappointing that ETFO has decided to escalate to a partial withdrawal of services, which hurts our kids, despite a limited number of outstanding items at the table,” Lecce said in a media release on Nov. 14.
However, Barbour wants to ensure parents know the strike action is not aimed at them or students.
“Our strike action is directed toward the government and school boards,” she said. “And it is not our intention to affect student learning or safety.”
Lecce disagreed, saying work-to-rule job action will inevitably hurt students.
“I stand with parents who know that labour action by unions hurts our students, and we will work to ensure students remain in the classroom,” he said.
“As I have always said, my negotiating team stands ready for meaningful, good faith bargaining 24/7, to reach the deals Ontario students and families deserve.”
Barbour said ETFO will continue to negotiate, noting the strike action is intended to put pressure on the ministry to come up with a resolution.
“If we’re getting somewhere, if things are responding, then there’s no need to continue or to escalate for that matter,” she said.
However, Barbour added it’s unlikely an agreement will be reached before the work-to-rule job action is put in place on Nov. 26 because not many negotiation days are scheduled in the next two weeks.
“The government really has left us no choice except to take some action, because we need a better deal to improve working conditions and thereby student learning conditions,” Barbour said.
Central contract talks have been taking place since June, when ETFO tabled its concerns.
ETFO represents elementary teachers and occasional teachers in the Upper Grand District School Board.
OECTA
The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association announced on Nov. 13 that its members voted 97 per cent in favour of authorizing strike action.
“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 Liz Stuart, OECTA president in a press release on Nov. 13.
“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.”
OECTA members are not yet in a legal strike position, but representatives are looking for “significant movement” from the government on specific issues.
So glad our family is finally out of this system; and now in a independent school. For five years, my child did not learn anything, did not have any friends, was only going for a few hours a day and doing things like crafts and watching YouTube. Now in their second year at an independent school, they have gone from a grade 2 reading level to a grade 5 level, their math scores have improved greatly, they get invited to multiple birthday and pool parties, they engage in extracurricular activities available at the school. Parent teacher meetings are now hopeful and not horrific. Additionally, as a parent I feel like I am now understood, heard, appreciated and respected by school staff. My kid has also gained healthy weight and sleeps well at night. So nice to send my kid to a school where I don’t have to worry about them all the time. And I am able to finish my university degree so that I can support my family and have a life! In fact, our family is finally returning to a ‘normal’ after surviving the instability, bullying, disappointments, gaslighting, lack of academic success, and loneliness of the years spent within the Ontario public school system.