Elementary teacher strikes to hit three boards as contract talks resume
Published January 30, 2020 at 2:35 pm
TORONTO — Renewed contract talks between Ontario’s public elementary teachers and the government are entering a second day today.
The province and the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario returned to the bargaining table Wednesday for the first time since Dec. 19.
The clock is ticking toward a union-imposed deadline of Friday to either get a deal or they will ramp up their strike action.
Elementary teachers have been holding one-day, rotating strikes for two weeks, but next week they are planning to walk out at each board twice a week.
They plan to hold provincewide strikes once a week — with the first one set for Feb. 6 — and each board will be hit by a one-day rotating strike as well.
Today’s rotating strike is targeting boards in Durham, Lambton Kent and Algoma.
Union president Sam Hammond has said he hopes the government negotiators have a mandate to remove further cuts, increase supports for students with special needs, address violence in classrooms, preserve the current kindergarten model and maintain fair and transparent hiring practices.
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Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the government has been reasonable in amending its proposals and he hopes the union will do the same.
The Canadian Press
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