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Teachers strike: Gélinas gives shout-out to area students

Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas gave a shoutout to a group of students opposed to back-to-work legislation in the legislature last week.
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Local teachers picket outside of the Holiday Inn May 7, where Premier Kathleen Wynne was addressing the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) conference. English public high school teachers in Greater Sudbury hit the picket lines last month, while their elementary counterparts are planning strike action starting Monday. Photo by Arron Pickard.
Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas gave a shoutout to a group of students opposed to back-to-work legislation in the legislature last week.

In the wake of recent teachers' strikes, the group, Ontario Students Right to be Heard, is calling on the Ontario government to make school boards negotiate. The students organized themselves and started a petition — gathering more than 5,000 signatures so far — to support teachers in their contentious contract negotiations with the province.

“It was a pleasure to introduce their petition to the legislative assembly,” Gélinas said May 28, after the back-to-work legislation was passed, ensuring Rainbow high school teachers can't strike again this term.

"Mr. Speaker leaders are often born in turbulent times; remember these names, Speaker. Spencer Pylatuk and Greg Lee from Lo-Ellen Park, Benjamin MacKenzie and Anna-Lisa Shandro from Sudbury Secondary, Mack McGrady from Barrydowne College, Daneen Maher from Espanola High, Max Chapman from Manitoulin Secondary, Baylee MacInnis and Phoenix Ellis from Lockerby Composite, and Vincent Leduc from Confederation Secondary.

"These young people stood up to give themselves and their peers, students affected by the strike, a voice. The voices of Ontario students weren’t being heard at all as the student’s interests were being touted by all sides."

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