Boards take aim at Lecce as strikes continue
English Catholic teachers plan a one-day strike March 5 that would close schools at the Ottawa Catholic School Board.
Students at all French-language schools can also expect a strike day next week, although which day has not been announced yet.
Unless there is a breakthrough in bargaining, three of the four Ontario education unions in contract disputes will continue rotating strikes next week at various schools across the province.
The union representing English public elementary teachers has taken a break from strikes to concentrate on applying political pressure to the provincial government. Its president has said that, if no deal is reached by March 6, there will be further unspecified job actions.
The union representing French-language board teachers was at the bargaining table Friday. However, barring progress in negotiations, its members will hold a provincewide walkout one day next week. Those teachers planned to start the weekly strikes on Thursday, but that walkout was cancelled because of a snowstorm.
Tensions appear likely to escalate.
On Friday, a strike by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation closed all schools at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and most schools at the two French-language boards. That union plans another strike next Thursday, but not in Ottawa.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce issued a statement saying the government had moved in its bargaining position, but the unions had “failed to make significant moves on substantial items — like their already generous benefits packages and their insistence on maintaining hiring based on union seniority rather than merit.
“While teacher union leaders are continuing to organize further disruption, our government, as always, remains ready to continue negotiating immediately and to get a deal that keeps our students in class.”
The unions are fighting proposed larger classes in Grades 4 to 12 and mandatory online courses for high school students and want more support for students with special needs, among other issues.
The province has maintained that wages, benefits and teacher hiring rules are the stumbling blocks.
Negotiations with English Catholic teachers broke off Monday, and that union announced it would resume provincewide walkouts starting March 5.
Liz Stuart, the president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, said the government “continued to insist on its deep, permanent cuts” to education. She accused Lecce of trying to mislead the public “by making baseless accusations against Catholic teachers and our Association, and by peddling the inaccurate claim that enhancements to our benefits plan is the sticking point in bargaining.”
English public elementary teachers did not strike this past week, but ramped up work slowdowns. Those union members are already refusing to participate in extracurricular activities and field trips or fully complete report cards.
Lecce criticized the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) for extending a work slowdown to members who work at treatment centres, including the Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre, starting March 2.
“I find it deeply concerning that ETFO has decided to withdraw important services from schools in hospitals for vulnerable and sick kids,” Lecce said in a statement.
ETFO released a statement saying the job action at the treatment centres was administrative and would have a “negligible impact on students.”
“Once again the Minister is taking the opportunity to spin misinformation in an attempt to inflame the situation.”