Ontario’s elementary teachers plan rotating strikes

TORONTO — Elementary teachers in Ontario are planning rotating strikes starting Jan. 20 unless there is significant progress in contract talks.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario said Thursday that “if the government refuses to address critical issues” by Jan. 17, its members will start a full withdrawal of services on a rotating basis the following Monday. Union president Sam Hammond said that in six months of contract talks, government negotiators have only discussed cuts to education.

Hammond has said key issues are more supports for students with special needs, addressing violence in schools and preserving full-day kindergarten. Elementary teachers are also seeking higher wage increases than the government has offered.

The teachers have also been staging an administrative work-to-rule campaign since November, and they say they will ramp that up starting Monday by no longer supervising extracurricular activities, participating in field trips or participating in assemblies, except to supervise students.

All of Ontario’s major teachers’ unions have expressed frustration with a lack of progress in talks with the government. They have been without contracts since Aug. 31.

High school teachers have staged rotating strikes and have also been on a work-to-rule campaign since November. Teachers in the English Catholic system will be starting an administrative work-to-rule campaign on Monday.