TVDSB Teachers Will Strike on Wednesday

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Friday, 17 January 2020 10:56

Elementary teachers in Ontario will start rotating strikes on Monday and teachers with the TVDSB will be doing their strike on Wednesday.

OXFORD COUNTY - Elementary teachers in Ontario will start rotating strikes on Monday.

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario has given notice to school boards. ETFO teachers in Thames Valley District School Board will walking off the job on Wednesday. Other school boards impacted on Wednesday January 22nd include Rainbow and Rainy River. ETFO teachers in the Grand Erie District School Board will have their one day strike on Tuesday.

ETFO President Sam Hammond says talks with the Province are at a stand still.

"In the 28 days since our last bargaining session on December 19, 2019, the Ford government and Minister Lecce have had ample time to return to contract talks with ETFO and they have chosen not to do so. We have no choice but to commence rotating strikes starting this Monday as our only means of forcing the government to get serious about negotiations and the future of public education.'

Hammond says the Education Minister has left them with no choice.

"Education Minister Lecce is being disingenuous when he says there has been no movement in elementary contract talks. ETFO tabled revised proposals in late December on key issues affecting students and educators. The government has given no response and made no commitment to return to bargaining talks in 28 days. It is crystal clear that the Ford government is only interested in cuts to public education. There has been little discussion on ETFO’s proposals for: smaller classes where students get the help they need; more resources for students with special needs; protection of our world-renowned Kindergarten program; and fair compensation for educators. We are urging the Minister to get back to the table and discuss the critical issues that parents and educators care about."

In preparing for the strikes, the Province announced they will help subsidize day care if strike actions closes schools or school based child care centres.

The Government is prepared to offer parents up to $60 per day. Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the Government is still focused on reaching a deal with the teachers unions.

"Our aim has always been to reach a negotiated settlement that keeps kids in class, which we have done successfully with multiple labour partners to date. We recognize the impact of union escalation on families is real, and unions expect hard-working families to bear the costs of their cyclical labour action. While unions impose hardship on families and students, our government is taking proactive steps to ensure students remain cared for — and families supported — in the event that unions decide to further escalate job action in their fight for enhanced compensation and other demands. The contrast could not be clearer."

Eligible parents of children up to age 12 (Grade 7), or up to age 21 for children and youth with special needs, in a publicly funded school, qualify for:

- $60 per day for children aged 0-6 who are not yet enrolled in school but attend a school-based child care centre that is required to close on account of the strike.
- $40 per day for students in Junior Kindergarten (JK) and Senior Kindergarten (SK).
- $25 per day for students in Grades 1 up to and including Grade 7.
- $40 total per day for students in JK up to and including Grade 12 with a special need(s).

Funding will also be retroactive for qualifying parents to cover costs already incurred due to labour disruptions that have occurred during the current 2019-20 labour negotiations.