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Another teachers' union moves towards strike

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association has placed itself in a legal strike position by mid-August.
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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.
The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association has placed itself in a legal strike position by mid-August.

The union says it has done this to take “a stand against the provincial government's efforts to further erode the classroom experience for students and teachers.”

Despite its best efforts to reach an agreement with the employer team (the government of Ontario and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association), OECTA was unwilling to accept attacks on its collective agreement that would adversely affect student learning conditions and the working environment of Ontario's Catholic teachers, a July 9 press release said.

"The government's aim is to make profound cuts to our collective agreements that would have a negative impact on students, their families, and our hard working teachers, who are already stretched to the limit," said Ann Hawkins, OECTA president, in the press release.

"Our members are standing up for what's right for the education system, principles the employer does not seem to be taking seriously."

The government and trustees are intent on eroding teachers' working conditions despite the negative impact it will have in the classroom, and for families across Ontario.

In April, OECTA members voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate, with 94.2 per cent. Following that vote, OECTA continued to bargain with the assistance of a mediator appointed by the Ministry of Labour.

On June 24, OECTA filed for conciliation, hoping this process would provide the impetus for meaningful negotiations to continue.

Union representatives have requested a "no board" report, issued when conciliation is unsuccessful and the parties are unable to negotiate a collective agreement. OECTA will be in a legal strike position 17 days after the “no board” report is issued, likely by mid-August.

"We are extremely disappointed," said Hawkins, in a press release. "The Liberal government has repeatedly stated its commitment to the bargaining process, yet remains more interested in appeasing the elected trustees than addressing the needs of teachers and their students."

Several other teachers' unions, including the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) and the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO), are already in a legal strike position, or will be soon.

This past spring, the OSSTF went on strike against the Rainbow District School Board for a month, until the union was ordered back to work by the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

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