Wynne prods school boards, unions toward negotiations
Return date for bargaining not yet set as teachers continue with work-to-rule threats
Leaders of teachers’ unions had a “goodwill” private meeting with Premier Kathleen Wynne on Friday but little was resolved as Ontario inches closer to a widespread labour dispute.
Wynne inserted herself into the stalled negotiations hoping to get the various unions talking again and prevent the province’s two million students from enduring work-to-rule campaigns or possibly strikes.
“I give the premier credit for getting all the parties together, and the meeting maybe helped focus people on a timeline, but we would need strong indication (from school boards) that they will move off their position about removing class caps” before returning to the bargaining table, said Paul Elliott, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF).
He said the meeting, which lasted about an hour, was “low-key; no specific issues were discussed.” Still, he noted “OSSTF remains open to returning to the table.”
The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) wants to change the local caps on high school class size to more flexible “guidelines,” a move the union opposes because, unlike hard caps, guidelines “have no meaning when it comes to a contract,” said Elliott.
The OSSTF announced last week its members will not run after-school programs this fall without a contract.
After the meeting, Wynne issued a statement saying all involved have a re- sponsibility to get back to the bargaining table. “We owe that to Ontario’s students and parents. That’s why I called for the meeting this morning,” she said, adding that “not getting back to bargaining is an abdication of our responsibility.”
OPSBA said school boards continue to be willing to meet and invited teachers to return to the table. “We are confident that we can arrive at an agreement with our education partners that remains focused on the best interests of students and families,” the organization said.
Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) said the early Friday meeting in Wynne’s office “was an interesting conversation,” but he insisted his union’s work-to-rule campaign is still very much in the future unless a deal can be reached in six weeks.
Hammond said a deal can be reached but “we need everyone at the table to be serious.”
Ann Hawkins, president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) said it is up to Wynne now to find date when the unions can get down to bargaining. OECTA has unveiled a sweeping work-to-rule campaign. While the government has warned there is no new funding available for education, Wynne and Education Minister Liz Sandals have said compromise is possible if the teachers return to the table.
Sandals said Friday there seemed to be a consensus “that we need to be getting back to the bargaining table . . . and I think there is really good will to do that.”
Progressive Conservative MPP Garfield Dunlop called for Sandals’ resignation.
“Minister Sandals has had over a year to get a deal done . . . Minister Sandals is failing and should resign immediately,” he said in a statement.