The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) will hold a strike vote, the union’s first vice-president, Shirley Bell, confirms.
It’s not clear when the vote will take place.
The Ministry of Education responded to the news, saying “premature strike threats do not serve the interests of students and do nothing but create unnecessary panic for parents. Our focus is where it should be – getting to the table and reaching a deal that keeps students in the classroom.”
The development comes just days after the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) announced it would be holding a strike vote in November, telling its members that a vote would send a message to the government that there needs to be meaningful progress at the bargaining table.
Talks with the major education unions are largely stalled as the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) is looking at the issue of which topics should be bargained centrally between the unions and province, and which should be between local unions and school boards.
The unions accuse Education Minister Paul Calandra of pushing local issues into the central sphere, including certain working conditions.
But the Ministry’s office says the unions are holding things up with their appeals to the OLRB.
“We respect their right to do so, but this process has delayed the start of bargaining. Once the OLRB process has concluded, we will be ready and willing to negotiate whenever the unions are ready to begin.”
ETFO represents approximately 84,000 members that include public elementary teachers, occasional teachers, education support personnel, professional support personnel and designated early childhood educators.
More to come
Add CityNews Toronto as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.
