Bargaining Has Resumed as Parents Brace For Increased Strike Action Next Week

Friday, 31 January 2020 12:45

Bargaining has resumed between the teachers unions and the Province as parents prepare for increased strike action, that will impact Oxford County for at least two days next week.

OXFORD COUNTY - The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation has announced more labour disruptions for public Secondary School.

They will be doing rotating one day strikes next week. OSSTF members will be doing job action across 10 boards on Tuesday including the Thames Valley District School Board. Other boards in the one day strike include:

- Waterloo Region District School Board
- Waterloo Catholic District School Board
- York Region District School Board
- York Catholic District School Board
- Lambton Kent District School Board
- Lakehead District School Board
- Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board
- Halton District School Board
- Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board

This means that in Oxford County all Elementary and Secondary schools will be closed to students on Tuesday. The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario is also having rotating one day strikes on Tuesday that will impact the Thames Valley District School Board. Meanwhile the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association is staging a one day strike on Tuesday for all Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Province.

This means that on Tuesday, kids at just about every school in our County will not be heading to class. The ETFO is also having a one day province wide strike on Thursday, which means parents will once again need to find alternate care.

Some positive news from all of this though, the two sides have returned to the bargaining table. Education Minister Stephen Lecce issued the following statement in response to the Ministry of Labour mediator calling parties back to the table:

"We look forward to the opportunity to negotiate to reach a settlement that keeps students in class and ends the union-led disruption that is affecting so many students across the province. We continue to ask the unions to come to the table with realistic proposals that prioritize student success. Our students deserve no less."