Upper Canada high school teachers could strike Wednesday

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By Nick Seebruch
Upper Canada high school teachers could strike Wednesday

ONTARIO – The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) has announced that some of its members will be taking part in a one day strike on Wednesday, Jan. 15 unless an agreement can be reached between their union, their employers and the province.

This would be the latest in a series of one day strikes that have occurred each Wednesday since Nov. 26.

“The Minister of Education continues to peddle the false narrative that this dispute is about compensation,” said OSSTF/FEESO President Harvey Bischof. “And yet, when we offered to call off our most recent job action in exchange for class size and staffing guarantees – issues entirely unrelated to compensation – the Ford government chose to reject that offer rather than keep students in classrooms.”

Minister of Education Stephen Lecce condemned the on-going work action in a statement on Jan. 3.

“Parents have been clear: strikes by unions hurt kids and investments should go to support student success, not towards enhanced compensation,” he said. “We agree with Ontario parents. This is why we will continue to vigorously champion the interests of students and seek stability for parents in 2020, who are frustrated and tired of the union-led escalation that began in 2019. This continued strike action is unfair to students and their families.”

High school teachers with the OSSTF are employed by the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) and support staff with the French public school board the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario (CEPEO).

Unionized teachers with the UCDSB will engage in a full withdrawal of services on Jan. 15 as will support staff at École élémentaire publique Rose des Vents and École secondaire publique L’Héritage unless an agreement is reached.

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