Coming off a week that saw a province-wide, multi-union teachers' strike, one of the educators' unions is now looking to escalate job action in an effort to reach a deal with the Ontario government.
The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) outlined what it termed as Phase Six of its strike protocol Monday, and have set a date of March 6 for a new contract with the provincial government. The ETFO represents elementary school teachers and educational support staff in English-language school boards across Ontario.
"During this phase of strike action, ETFO wants to highlight a long-standing concern, which is that teachers and educators have been filling in education funding gaps themselves by paying for classroom basics, books, paper, art supplies, technology, furniture and so on, out of their own pockets," said ETFO President Sam Hammond in a media release.
Effective Wednesday, ETFO members will start a different stage of its work-to-rule campaign. Members will report to work as usual and remain strictly focused on their scheduled duties. Members will not cover absences usually filled by support teachers or education workers, upload data related to assessments, or use out-of-pocket funds to pay for classroom supplies.
Hammond said this escalation is designed to encourage the province to return to talks.
"The Ford government has an opportunity to ensure stability in elementary schools. If the government ignores this opportunity and chooses labour disruption instead, ETFO will move to its Phase 7 Strike Protocol on Monday, March 9, 2020," said Hammond.
Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce responded to the ETFO's plans Monday afternoon.
"I hope that ETFO will work with school boards to ensure that the escalated work-to-rule measures do not risk student safety and security. That is why our government is squarely focused on getting a deal that ends the continuous escalation by teachers' union leaders, so our kids remain in class," said Lecce. "Our government wants to see investments in education, helping our students, not increasing compensation and enhancing already generous benefits packages. I remain fully committed to reaching a deal that keeps students in class, provides certainty to parents, and fairness to educators."
Members of ETFO joined other educator unions across the province on Friday in a one-day strike, designed to pressure the Ontario government to return to bargaining and agree to reverse planned cuts to education. It was the first time all four unions have been on picket lines on the same day since 1997, when educators protested cuts to education made by the Progressive Conservative government of Premier Mike Harris.