The teacher unions are prepared to ramp up job action if labour talks don't show progress.
Rallying outside of the public school board office in Windsor this afternoon, Adelina Cecchin, president of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario for Greater Essex, tells BlackburnNews.com bargaining needs to resume or work action will get more serious.
"If we see movement on the part of the government that's going to help us decide what our next move is, but if there isn't going to be any kind of movement or anything taken seriously, then yes [job action] will continue to escalate," says Cecchin, not commenting further on possible strike action.
The Ontario Public School Boards' Association says it hasn't left the bargaining table and puts ETFO's demands at over $3.2-billion over three years.
Windsor-West MPP and Ontario NDP Education Critic Lisa Gretzky speaks at a rally in front of the GECDSB office in Windsor, June 16, 2015. (Photo by Mike Vlasveld)
Windsor West MPP and NDP Education Critic Lisa Gretzky attended the rally.
"It's really important for [teachers] to stand up and say, 'Their working conditions are the students' learning conditions,'" says Gretzky. "When the government continues to strip funding from the education system, that's passed down onto the students and it adversely affects them."
Education Minister Liz Sandals says the $22.5-billion budget set for education in 2014/2015 is the same for 2015/2016 despite declining enrolment.
ETFO is using a work-to-rule campaign as part of its job action with teachers having been without a deal since August 2014.