Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) will engage today in a full withdrawal of services to the government and School Board Associations.
“The Minister of Education and his bargaining teams at both the education worker and teacher/occasional teacher central tables continue to avoid meaningful progress on the issues that are crucial to a high quality learning environment for our students, and fair working conditions for our members,” said OSSTF/FEESO President Harvey Bischof.
Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, countered: “I am reaffirming my commitment to examining innovative solutions to avoid a strike. I am open to a framework that achieves our goal of reaching a deal that keeps students in the classroom.”
However, Bischof said the minister has undermined negotiations through press conferences at which he has publicly announced bargaining positions that have not been presented by his negotiating teams at the table. “He publicly claims that compensation is the only issue preventing a deal, yet his bargaining team has simply refused to address our proposals on crucial issues including class size, e-learning and job security for our members.”
Lecce said the “onus is on OSSTF to be reasonable, stay at the table, and to cancel this needless escalation that is hurting children, parents, and families.”
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