Escalation of job actions between teacher’s unions and government challenges public education

BY PAUL JUNOR

As the state of Ontario’s public education reaches a crisis point, many are wondering what the ultimate impact on students’ learning, achievement and success will be. The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (EFTO) which represents approximately 83,000 members announced on Wednesday, January 8^th that they will be progressing to the third phase of their job action as of Monday, January 13^th. This will involve a selected withdrawal of service, such as the cancellations of after-school activities.

If no deal is reached by Friday, January 17^th, EFTO will commence a full withdrawal of services strike on a rotating basis effective January 20^th.  The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has indicated that this will mean the closure of all its elementary schools. In addition, the Ontario English Catholic Association (OECTA) representing 45,000 members announced that they will likely be taking administrative job action starting, January 13^th. Furthermore, teachers at Ontario’s French-Language school board plan to start withdrawing some services in a job action strike, which will commence on January 16^th.

There is no end in sight to these ongoing job actions as the union’s ramp up the pressure on the governments to force it to come to a settlement. As reported in the January 10^th, edition of the Toronto Star, by OECTA president Liz Stuart, “The government has been firm that they have no intentions of reconsidering their reckless, unpopular cuts.”  This refers to the massive cuts that the PC-led government intend to go ahead with to the education budget.

According to ETFO president Sam Hammond, “That’s why there has been negligible progress on substantial issues like supports for special education, protecting the (full-day) kindergarten model, addressing classroom-based violence, and compensation that keeps up with the cost of inflation.”  Furthermore, he states, “This government’s approach to education–sector contract talks are a sham. The government representatives have confirmed that they have no mandate to negotiate issues beyond cuts.”

It appears that they are at an impasse. Premier Doug Ford in an interview with CP24’s Stephanie Smyth as reported in January 10^th, Toronto Star, “ We’ve signed three deals with other unions, and then we’re sitting back thinking, ‘OK, if it’s good for CUPE and other unions, why isn’t it good enough for the certain teachers unions?’ I differentiate between (front-line teachers) and the head of unions. For 30 years, they want to fight with any government, any premier.” The premier has simplified the issues that are at the core of the unions’ demands.

According to OSSTF president Harvey Bischof, in response to the government refusal to budge on its cost-cutting agenda and listen to parents feedback, “They told them they’re not interested in larger class sizes, they want their children to have access to supports that education workers provide, they want caps on maximum class sizes and they’re not interested in mandatory e-learning.”

The OSSTF has announced that there will be a one-day rotating strike on Wednesday, January 15^th. This will be the fifth one after those on December 4^th, 11^th, 18^th and January 8^th, 2020. According to the January 11^th, Toronto Star, the Minister of Education Stephen Leece (in response to the planned walkout by OSSTF) it will be unfair to students and their families.” Furthermore, “These union leaders will forcefully advocate for the interests of their members – from enhanced wages to enhanced entitlements – however they ought not oppose the academic aspirations of our students.” This will continue as no foreseeable resolution is apparent.