Walkout by public high school teachers signal further labour unrest

BY PAUL JUNOR

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) had given notice that they would be conducting a one-day walkout on Wednesday, December 4^th, 2019 and return to work on Thursday, December 5^th, 2019. This walkout meant the closing of all secondary schools in the public system across the province of Ontario. This closure affected all Toronto District School Board Secondary Schools, Adult Day Schools and Secondary Night Schools. In a press release to secondary school parents/guardians on November 28^th, the TDSB noted that in the event of a walkout, “The TDSB would have no other option but to close all secondary schools to students as there would not be sufficient supervision to ensure their safety.” Furthermore, “Any out-of-school activities (e.g. fieldtrips, sports, etc.) would also be cancelled on that day. As a result parents/guardians should make alternate arrangements for their children if required.” This doubt impacted many parents.

OSSTF, which is at present in a legal strike position, has already begun work-to rule as of Tuesday, November 26^th, 2019. This involves a limited withdrawal of services and not a full strike. The withdrawal of services includes but is not limited to: not performing EQAO preparation or testing, not attending unpaid staff meetings outside the school day, and not providing comments on any secondary provincial report cards.  While schools remained open and instructional programs persisted during this work-to-rule, on Wednesday, all services were to be terminated for just one day only. This day, which involved a full withdrawal of services, resulted in picketing at secondary school sites, at Doug Ford’s office and Ontario Public School Board’s Association (OPBSA) offices.

There has not been any progress made with the OSSTF, OPBSA and the government since negotiations commenced. The union has taken the unprecedented step of making information available at the website  www.bargainingforeducation.ca. The decision by Ford’s government to increase average class size from 22:1 to 28:1 and now 25:1 has not been well received as it will result in the projected loss of 10,000 teaching jobs across the province. The capping of compensation increase of 1% with the passage of Bill 124 has further incensed the union while the government has given thirty-one Tory MPPs a 14% salary increase at a time when it had reduced programs, cutback services and cancelled planned initiatives. After four days of negotiating between the OSSTF, the OPBSA and the government there was no progress, and the union decided to stage a one day-strike.

On the Tuesday night before the strike, the Education Minister requested the union to cancel the strike as his bargaining team was willing to present a  “new framework” to the union in order to ensure that the negotiating parties remained at the table as reported in the December 4^th edition of the Toronto Sun. OSSTF has refused to back down from its position and according to Harvey Bischof, president of OSSTF, “While we sympathize with students and parents facing disruption and anxiety, a single day strike doesn’t come close to the kind of disruption this government will wreck on the education system if they’re allowed to go forward with their destructive proposals.” The one-day strike was clearly a strategic move by OSSTF. Bischof stated, “We have seen this government change direction when faced with political opposition and so that is our intention.” Only time will tell if the government will retract.