Elementary teachers announce another one-day strike on Friday

TORONTO — The union representing Ontario’s elementary school teachers has announced a fifth rotating strike on Friday, meaning various school boards in Ontario will be taking part in a one-day strike every day of the coming week.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario said the new job action will happen at the Ontario North East and Bluewater school boards on Friday.

The first one-day strikes are set to take place at York Region, Toronto and Ottawa-Carleton on Monday.

More school boards will strike on Tuesday in Grand Erie, Trillium Lakelands, Renfrew and Superior-Greenstone on Tuesday.

Teachers at Thames Valley, Rainbow and Rainy River school boards will strike on Wednesday and at Avon-Maitland, Halton, Niagara and Lakehead on Thursday.

ETFO President Sam Hammond has said the main issues in bargaining include smaller classroom sizes, more resources for students with special needs, protection of their kindergarten program and fair compensation.

“(Education Minister Stephen) Lecce seems prepared to let his government’s damaging cuts to public education proceed instead of taking a responsible approach at the bargaining table,” said Hammond in a press release Sunday, adding that the government hasn’t returned to the bargaining table since their last session on Dec. 19.

“We continue to urge the Minister to get back to the table to discuss the critical issues that parents and educators care about.”

The Ministry of Education didn’t issue a new statement on Sunday, but Lecce said Saturday that it was “unacceptable” for the union to ramp up job action.

Lecce has maintained that compensation is the main sticking point in contract talks.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education says more than 100,000 parents have signed up for their Support for Parents program, which compensates parents with children up to Grade 7 for child-care costs incurred during strikes.

All four major teachers unions in Ontario are currently taking legal job action.

But only the union representing Ontario’s French school system has contract talks scheduled with the government.