A planned strike by French teachers in Ontario for Thursday (February 27th), has been cancelled due to a winter storm warning issued by Environment Canada. French teachers, including ones at Jeanne-Lajoie and Equinoxe schools in Pembroke, were set to walk off the job this week as a part of their planned job action. AEFO, the union representing French teachers in the province, cancelled the planned strikes earlier this afternoon (February 25th). Strikes by French teachers will will continue on Friday.
Last week English Catholic teachers in the province called off rotating strikes as talks with the government progressed. Education Minister Stephen Lecce blamed the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) for a breakdown in contract talks. Lecce says the union obstructed progress by insisting on improvements to benefits. He adds the union representing public high school teachers has said it is seeking a six per cent increase to members’ benefits. OECTA says it is considering further strikes after the government bargaining team held firm to its agenda. In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, OECTA says a witness at the Ontario Labour Relations Board says it’s obvious from results of class size consultation that it has no bearing on government decision making.
The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has started phase 6 of their job action. The ETFO is asking the government to get back to the bargaining table to negotiate a deal before Friday, March 6th. The union has cancelled rotating strikes for the next two weeks, but says members will not fill in for absences that should be covered by occasional teachers and education workers, upload data related to assessments, or pay for classroom supplies such as books, paper, art supplies, technology and more out of their own pockets.
The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) has another one-day strike planned on Friday, February 28th, however the Renfrew County District School Board will not be impacted.
Statement from the AEFO regarding the cancellation of the strike Thursday:
IMPORTANT
Posted by AEFO on Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Read the statement from OECTA on labour negotiations here.
See the comments from the ETFO on phase 6 of their job action here.
View a list of school boards impacted by the upcoming OSSTF strike here.