Disruption to be avoided

EDUCATION: While talks have collapsed for public elementary teachers, work-to-rule won’t be stepped up for now, union local president says

Elementary school teachers remain “committed” to avoiding disruption of classroom activities in the wake of the breakdown of contract talks with the provincial government, Kawartha Pine Ridge Elementary Teachers’ Local president Shirley Bell says.

Government negotiators walked away from the bargaining table Friday, according to the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), after a take-it-or-leave-it offer was made.

“We really hope the government comes back to the table because of the potential for a deal ... that’s the ultimate goal of every teacher,” she said Monday afternoon, adding the breakdown is “very disappointing” after “seven days of pretty tough talks.”

Education Minister Liz Sandals said in a statement that the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) and the government have tabled a comprehensive proposal in line with tentative agreements already reached with other teacher unions.

The Liberal government has recently come to agreements with English Catholic elementary teachers and public high school teachers. Both contain teacher pay raises.

“We wanted to make sure that the elementary teachers did have a complete offer to consider,” Sandals said Monday. “So what the boards and the government have done is put together a complete settlement package. It’s the same framework as the agreements that we reached with OSSTF and with OECTA.”

Bell said you can’t compare those deals with Friday’s proposal because the needs of elementary students are “very different.”

“A student who is six years old has different educational needs than a student who is sixteen. Anyone with children knows that’s true, ETFO president Sam Hammond stated Monday. “As a result, elementary teachers’ working needs will be different than secondary teachers, so the imposition of a cookie-cutter deal just won’t work.”

Teachers say they will not increase their work-to-rule campaign, for now. Bell said classroom events are still taking place locally, including hosting guest speakers.

“We’re committed to giving students the best we can in the classroom - what we’ve always given them - considering the position we’re in,” she said.

If the government and association don’t return to talks, the union will have no choice but to increase work-to-rule action, Hammond said Monday afternoon before meeting with local union presidents to consider next steps. He would not say when that would take place or what the further job action would look like.

No further bargaining dates have been scheduled, Sandals confirmed.

The federation represents 78,000 elementary public school teachers, occasional teachers and other professional educators. Their contract expired last August.

It’s not the only outstanding labour dispute involving educators.

After more than a year of negotiations, the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO) announced Monday that it is stepping away from the bargaining table after receiving an “unacceptable offer from employers.”

The AEFO, which represents some 10,000 French-language Ontario elementary and secondary teachers at Catholic and public boards, stated it “will evaluate its possible course of actions before returning to the bargaining table.”

Some 93% of its members voted in favour of strike action, prompting the AEFO last week to give notice of work-to-rule, which could begin Friday.