Teachers’ dispute escalating
Province accused of trying to drive wedge between educators, parents by OECTA
For Niagara teachers, the ongoing and escalating labour dispute with the provincial government is not about getting a raise.
Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) Niagara secondary schools president Lisa Bowers said teachers she represents are concerned about their students.
“I think we need to hold this government to a higher standard because what they’re saying is not true,” Bowers said, responding to comments from Premier Doug Ford that the province would not offer an annual wage increase of more than one per cent.
She said Niagara teachers are not talking about a wage hike. The conversations they’re having on picket lines are about ensuring students have resources they need to get the best education possible.
“That’s pretty much the focus locally,” Bowers said while participating in an information picket at Denis Morris Secondary School in St. Catharines Thursday.
“If we get large class sizes, we’re already struggling from a lack of support in terms of our students with the highest needs.
“We love our jobs, but it’s becoming increasingly challenging to do it well and to not worry about the day or tomorrow, because we know we’re putting student learning and their safety at risk just because there aren’t enough staff.”
Speaking to reporters at Queen’s Park Thursday morning, Ford accused union brass of holding Ontario parents “hostage” with escalating job action and said teachers
“don’t have good leadership at the head of the unions.”
“They just want to argue no matter what premier, no matter what government is in power. And they have to understand, because of the last 15 years of mismanagement, scandal and waste we’re in this position. But, hopefully, they’re going to take the one per cent deal.”
Ford said parents are “frustrated that the teachers can’t stay in the classroom and negotiate at the same time.”
“So we’re confident we’ll get a deal. And things will be back to normal hopefully sooner than later.”
Local teachers said they will have no choice but to spend next Tuesday on picket lines. Bowers said any concessions teachers make regarding student learning conditions, “we will not get back, or if we do, it will take generations.”
“We have to defend that with everything
we can. We have to draw the line.”
Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation District 22 president Shannon Smith said proposed class size changes are a primary concern among teachers she represents, as well.
She said cuts are going to be “much, much deeper in terms of loss of jobs” among secondary school teachers. Although some concessions have been made regarding class-size limitations, “it’s still a pretty serious cut.”
“It’s going to result in huge classes. It’s going to result in loss of options for our students.”
Meanwhile, OECTA Niagara elementary schools president Marie Balanowski said the government’s offer of providing up to $60 per day in compensation to families affected by school closures due to the labour dispute is an obvious effort to divide parents and teachers.
In a media release, Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff, Ontario’s parliamentary assistant to the minister of education, said the province is “committed to supporting parents and families in this stressful period of strike action.” “Hard-working parents need to know that we are there to support them in providing the best education possible for their children. We want them to know that in the stress of teacher union escalations, we have their back.”
Said Balanowski, “If the government is sincerely concerned about students and families, they will go to the bargaining table ready to negotiate an agreement that doesn’t include significant, permanent cuts to the classroom.
“Teachers understand the difficulty that job action poses for parents, guardians and students, however, the reality is that teachers are the last line of defence against this government’s cuts to publicly funded education.”
In addition to setting up picket lines at schools throughout Niagara on Tuesday morning, teachers said they will be protesting outside Oosterhoff’s Beamsville office.