French-language school board teachers plan to begin striking one day a week

Teachers in Ontario’s French-language school boards plan to strike one day a week starting Thursday, Feb. 13 as tensions continue to rise in disputes between education unions and the provincial government.

The three other education unions engaged in bargaining are already staging rotating strikes, including one on Thursday that cancelled classes for nearly a million English public elementary students.

It’s the most widespread labour disruption at Ontario schools since 1997, when teachers across the province staged a two-week illegal strike to protest policies introduced by the Conservative government of Mike Harris.

The president of the union representing teachers at French-language school boards said he realizes strikes impact families, but members are fighting “against the deterioration of our education system.”

“Many parents, students and citizens are deeply worried about the very real threats to the quality of our French-language education system,” said Rémi Sabourin, president of the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO) representing 12,000 teachers in French-language boards, in a statement.

“We fervently hope that the government and school boards do not ignore this historical labour and social movement.”

Contract bargaining is going nowhere, said Sabourin.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce has said salaries and benefits are the key issue in the disputes. The government has passed wage-restraint legislation that limits wage increases for public servants to one per cent a year, while the unions are seeking a cost of living increase of about two per cent. He issued a statement Friday saying that “continued escalation of job action by the teachers’ unions has gone on far too long. Students across the province are being hurt by the withdrawal of services and loss of classroom time . ...

“I call on union leadership to continue to work with us, in good faith, to end these strikes, and focus on reaching a deal that keeps our students in the classroom where they belong.”

Strikes planned for the Ottawa area next week:

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board: Elementary teachers plan to strike on Feb. 11 and Feb. 13 Upper Canada District School Board: Elementary teachers plan to strike Feb. 10 and Feb. 11 Renfrew County District School Board: Elementary teachers plan to strike Feb. 11 and Feb. 12. High school teachers and support staff plan to strike Feb. 13. French-language boards: Elementary and secondary teachers plan to strike Feb. 13 at both CEPEO and CECCE. Support staff in CEPEO plan to strike Feb. 13 at these schools : École élémentaire publique Madeleine-de-Roybon in Kingston; École élémentaire et secondaire publique L’Équinoxe in Pembroke; and École secondaire publique Mille-Îles in Kingston. Support staff at CECCE plan to strike Feb. 13 at these schools: Centre scolaire catholique Jeanne-Lajoie – Pavillon élémentaire, Pavillon secondaire in Pembroke; École élémentaire catholique Mgr-Rémi-Gaulin in Kingston; and École secondaire catholique Marie-Rivier in Kingston.