Elementary Teachers Start Work to Rule Campaign and Rotating Strikes

Thursday, 9 January 2020 15:50

Elementary teachers in Ontario will begin a work to rule campaign on Monday and are set to start rotating one day strikes on January 20th.

ONTARIO - Elementary teachers in Ontario are going to start a work to rule campaign on Monday.

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario made the announcement on Thursday. ETFO members will also start doing rotating one day strikes beginning on January 20th if a deal is not reached with the Province.

ETFO President Sam Hammond says talks with the Province have all but completely stalled.

“In six months of contract talks, the Ford government’s education minister has given his negotiators no mandate to discuss anything other than cuts to education including a $150 million cut to public elementary education. That’s why there has been negligible progress on substantive issues like supports for Special Education, protecting the Kindergarten model, addressing classroom-based violence and compensation that keeps up with the cost of inflation.”

Hammond says this government’s approach to education sector contract talks is a sham.

"The government representatives have confirmed that they have no mandate to negotiate issues beyond cuts. They have met with ETFO for a very limited time on each of the 22 days of bargaining since August making it obvious that there is no intention or ability for them to address serious issues affecting the education of elementary students and educators. Elementary educators have a responsibility to stand up to this government. Educators are very aware that what we are fighting for today will have an impact on generations of students to come.”

As part of ETFO’s updated work-to-rule action, educators will not arrive to work earlier than 30 minutes before the start of the instructional day and will leave within 15 minutes at the end of the instructional day. They will not plan or participate in any assemblies except to provide supervision to students.