Groups like Ontario Families for Public Education and the Ontario Parent Action Network have helped spark a new movement that is determined to push back against any government-led attack on publicly-funded education.Education sector workers will continue to be tested by this government. Posted: Dec 10, 2019 1:17 PM ET | Last Updated: December 10, 2019. We will communicate once we have more details. WATCH ABOVE: Travis Dhanraj speaks with Education Minister Stephen Lecce about ongoing negotiations between the province and teachers unions, the government’s consultations on class sizes, compensation, e-learning and more. November 18, 2019—OSSTF/FEESO’s education workers voted 92 per cent in favour of strike action, and the Federation’s teacher and occasional teacher members provided a 95.5 per cent strike mandate.
It’s been part of an effort to turn up the pressure during tense labour negotiations with the Progressive Conservative government.The union hasn’t had a contract in place since August.Sources familiar with the negotiating positions of the Ontario government and the OSSTF, but not authorized to speak publicly, previously told Global News issues surrounding compensation, class sizes, e-learning and layoffs have been major points of contention at the bargaining table.“But our real hope is we get to the bargaining table, negotiate a deal that supports the quality of education in this province and then there will be no further action required,” Bischof said Wednesday.Bischof said the union knows Wednesday’s pending disruption will impact students and parents, but said teachers have no choice but to push back against increases in class sizes and mandatory e-learning courses.“If we step back and allow this government to simply erode the quality of education, the long-term consequences of that will be disastrous,” he said.“We’re trying to be measured in our approach so we’re balancing the need to raise public awareness to the cuts that the government has already imposed before bargaining has even concluded, and wants to continue to impose and deepen over the next couple of years.
“We have been negotiating this process for months and they have made it clear that their priorities — one of which includes the $1.5 billion figure because that’s the consequence of that request — and the fact is that I believe that students should not be out of class because the OSSTF did not get a $1.5 billion increase in pay.
“If they’re including in that the cost of maintaining the status quo of the education system, they’re inflating the number in order to inflame the rhetoric.”Lecce said bowing to the OSSTF’s demands may leave the government with no other choice but to offer the same terms to other education labour groups.“They choose not to consider the impacts outside of OSSTF as if they live in isolation to the other unions and education workers, but they don’t,” he said.Meanwhile, it was announced on Tuesday that the provincial government Wednesday’s job action comes exactly a week after OSSTF engaged in a province-wide walkout. Secondary schools will re-open Dec. 12.
For all BHNCDSB 'Labour Updates', please refer to messages from our Chair of the Board – Important Labour Update: All Grand Erie secondary schools CLOSED to students on Wednesday (Dec. 11) due to one-day, full withdrawal of services by OSSTF members. High school teachers and education workers represented by As of midnight on Wednesday, OSSTF-represented workers engaged in a full withdrawal of services at the following school boards:Ontario public high school teachers and educational staff begin picketing outside TDSB offices on Yonge Street. OSSTF members picket outside TDSB head office on Yonge Street for a second one-day strike. Do not give in! All Remember, no school tomorrow December 11/19 for Gr 9-12 due to a one-day strike by Given as of this afternoon there has been no communicated change to the status of collective bargaining a one-day full withdrawal of services is scheduled for tomorrow.
Stay united. Yet, based on the plethora of actions members are taking—from letter writing, media interviews, creative picket line actions, to social media monitoring and reaction to every post made by a Ford MPP—regardless of the school or worksite picket location, the commitment and resolve of members remain strong.Although it is impossible to predict how this will end, there are signs that our strategy, along with the solidarity shown by members, are having the desired effect.Although the job actions taken by education workers and teachers can be temporarily disruptive to families, a number of polls show that the majority of Ontarians do not support the Ford education agenda and believe the government is on the wrong track when it comes to public education.Perhaps even more encouraging than the poll results is the surge in grassroots, parent, and community advocacy groups that continue to sprout up across the province since the election of the Ford government. As a result, TDSB secondary schools are closed to students. Bargaining Status Updates; #LecceFactCheck; Research; Timeline; OSSTF’s Proposal to Delay the January 8 Strike. If an agreement isn't reached, all Thunder Bay public schools may be closed on Wednesday due to a possible one-day strike by educators.