Despite ongoing labour talks, class will be back in session at local schools Monday.
Following weeks of unsuccessful contract talks with the province, on December 4, 2019, members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) began staging rotating one-day strikes across the province in response to what it says is "a continued lack of progress at the bargaining table."
Another one-day strike is planned for January 8, but the St. Clair Catholic District School Board (SCCDB) and Lambton Kent District School (LKDSB) will not be affected this time. On Friday, SCCDSB also posted an update on its Twitter page stating that there were no changes in labour relations at the time and all schools in that board would be open as normal on Monday.
High school teachers and education workers at 10 school boards, including the LKDSB, participated in a one-day strike on December 18. The job action marked the third one-day strike in three weeks and came after the mediator called off talks, suggesting the two sides meet again in the new year.
Jennifer Kumpf, president of OSSTF District 10 Lambton-Kent, said the organization is waiting to see what the next steps are.
"We are waiting for confirmation of further negotiating or bargaining dates in January," she said. "We expect them. I don't know if they've been confirmed yet."
Following the news of the upcoming planned job action, Minister of Education Stephen Lecce issued a statement Friday afternoon suggesting that the ongoing strikes are not in the best interest of students and parents.
"Parents have been clear: strikes by unions hurt kids and investments should go to support student success, not towards enhanced compensation," read the statement. "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."
However, the OSSTF has maintained that it's standing up against larger class sizes, cuts to support staff and specialized programs.
"Our focus and our goal as an organization locally and provincially is to really protect and maintain the quality of education services that we provide," said Kumpf. "We really feel strongly about protecting the quality of public education in Ontario. Frustrations aside, this is a meaningful and necessary piece to try and fight against the cuts that the Ford Government proposed."
On Friday evening, the OSSTF published a proposal on their website that would delay the January 8 strike, if their request is granted.
"The Crown and School Boards’ Associations agree to return to the 2018/2019 staffing levels for teachers and education workers and that those staffing levels be guaranteed for the duration of the next collective agreement," read the statement. "For clarity, the staffing levels referenced above are the ratios between teachers/education workers and students that were in place in 2018/2019 and would be adjusted up or down in response to changes to student enrolment from year to year. "
In exchange, the OSSTF said it will agree to postpone the full withdrawal of services at select education boards on Wednesday and continue engaging in negotiations with the assistance of the government-appointed mediators already in place to resolve the remaining issues between the parties.
"There is a proposal out there publicly to the [Ministry of Education] and to Minster Lecce indicating that there is a way to postpone the full withdrawal of services at select boards and to keep the negotiations moving forward," explained Kumpf. "To my knowledge, there hasn't been a response to that proposal yet. Everybody hopes we can move forward in a productive and meaningful way."
The OSSTF has been under work-to-rule since November 26, 2019.