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Teachers Unions Take The Government To Labour Relations Board

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Ontario’s Labour Minister insists the province isn’t violating the Occupational Health and Safety Act when it comes to teachers.

Monte McNaughton says the province is taking the proper precautions for a safe return to school.

“Employers have to protect their workers from hazards on the job, as well as infectious diseases, like COVID-19,” explains McNaughton.

“We’ve had great success in the Province of Ontario in thousands and thousands of workplaces in doing that and we’re going to do that in schools as well.”

The four major teachers unions are taking the province to the Ontario Labour Relations Board because they say the Ministry of Labor failed to respond to them about the health and safety standards at publically funded school.

Premier Doug Ford admits he’s frustrated by the actions of the teacher’s unions.

“You wanted ventilation…we got ventilation. You wanted more money for teachers…we got more money for the teachers. We went out and got the reserves…we have more cleaning. We basically covered every single list. And I’m just asking once, for your co-operation.”

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KPDSB Reaches Tentative Local Deals With The OSSTF and ETFO

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The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board hopes to have labour peace with its teachers and occasional teachers for the next couple of years.

Tentative local agreements have been reached with the Elementary Teachers Federation and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation.

Sherri-Lynne Pharand is the Director of Education and says it was a unique negotiation.

“We’re very pleased and want to really thank the table teams from both the board and ETFO for working together in a new format,” says Pharand.

“This the first time we’ve ever negotiated virtually and reached agreements.”

The school board and the OSSTF are scheduled to hold ratification votes before July 31st.

No dates have been given for ETFO members.

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Elementary Teachers Escalate Job Action

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The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario is upping its job action to back demands for a new contract with the Ford Government.

Beginning Wednesday, public elementary teachers will not be taking on any additional work, which will include not filling in for absences normally taken by occasional teachers and education workers.

In addition, teachers will also stop spending their own money on classroom supplies.

ETFO is giving the Province until March 6th to reach a deal before it considers further job action.

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Local Schools Closed Again

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Elementary schools operated by the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board are closed Thursday for a second straight day.

Wednesday, members represented by the Elementary Teachers Federation Of Ontario were out as part of the rotating strikes the union is carrying out.

Thursday, EFTO has called for a province-wide walkout.

Meanwhile, there will be two more days of strikes locally for elementary teachers next week.

ETFO announced it will be walking out at the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board next Tuesday and Thursday, February 11th and 13th, if a new deal isn’t reached before then.

Thursday’s job action impacts public school students in kindergarten through grade eight, but not those in grades nine through 12.

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KPDSB Public Elementary Schools Closed Monday

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If you have a child who attends an elementary school within the Keewatin Patricia District School Board, you’ll have to find some type of child care arrangement for today.

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario is continuing their second week of rotating strikes throughout the province, and the KPDSB is one of the four boards where union members will walk off the job this week.

Due to the one day strike, the local school board has announced that all public elementary schools will be closed for the day. In addition, all grade seven and eight students at Beaver Brae Secondary School will not have class.

Even though the middle school students will not be in school, it will be exams as scheduled at Beaver Brae for students in grades nine through 12.

School buses will not be running Monday for KPDSB elementary schools, though they will be running for the high school students who normally take them.

The one-day strike by the teachers’ union will not have any impact on the Kenora Catholic District School Board.

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ETFO Says Province Trying To Bribe Publice

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A union boss calls the announced special funding for parents affected by teachers’ strikes a transparent attempt to bribe parents and the public to support the government.

That’s the message coming from Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario president Sam Hammond, who says that a responsible education minister would put his money into public education as part of contract talks.

Hammond believes the special funding could cost taxpayers up to $48 million per day.

He accuses Stephen Lecce of trying to cover up the fact that this government is making massive cuts to public education and wants more reductions to elementary education at the bargaining table.

He suggests the government’s goal is to gut public education funding and punish educators, and that they believe Premier Ford and Minister Lecce have no intention of reaching a deal that addresses serious issues for students, student learning and educators.

Hammond notes the province hasn’t set any dates for contract talks since December 19th.

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Elementary Teachers Meeting With Conciliator

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The union representing public elementary teachers will meet with a Ministry of Labour conciliator today (Monday) in hopes of avoiding strike action.

Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario President Sam Hammond says members have voted 98% in favour of a strike to back contract demands.

Hammond says the province needs to get serious and focus on the issues of concern.

He notes “But it seems that only teachers and education professionals, not this government, are concerned with the quality of publicly funded public education that our kids receive in classrooms.”

Hammond says the meeting will determine next steps in their contract negotiations, adding they are not pushing for a work stoppage.

ETFO Keewatin-Patricia Local Teacher President Kimberley Douglas says outstanding issues include class sizes, the current Kindergarten model, fair and transparent hiring for new members and support for special needs students.”

Douglas adds local teachers are really feeling the pinch from the Ford government.

She stresses salaries aren’t the issue in this round of bargaining.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce express his disappointment saying the union has taken another escalating step towards a strike which will hurt our kids.

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Elementary Teachers Seek New Contract

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Public elementary teachers will be taking a strike vote later this month.

Their contract expired at the end of August.

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario says meetings are planned with teachers starting later this month and into October.

Instructors want the province and school boards to address a number of issues including supports for students with special needs, class sizes, the protection of Full-Day Kindergarten and hiring practices.

The ETFO says it wants to reach an agreement at the bargaining table without having to take job action.