Ontario education unions to hold strike votes in November

Four of Ontario’s major education unions have scheduled strike votes between Nov. 4 and 18, with contracts expired since the end of August and bargaining with the province stalled, the unions said.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees’ Ontario School Board Council of Unions, which represents about 57,000 education workers, will vote from Nov. 4 to 18, The Canadian Press reported. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, which represents public high school teachers, will vote from Nov. 6 to 16, according to The Canadian Press.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, which represents about 84,000 public elementary teachers, occasional teachers and education support staff, will hold its central vote from Nov. 9 to 18, The Canadian Press reported. The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association will vote on Nov. 12 and 13, The Canadian Press reported.

The unions say talks have not moved past the early stages. The Ontario Labour Relations Board is deciding which issues should be bargained centrally between the unions and the province and which should be left to local tables with school boards.

The unions have accused Education Minister Paul Calandra of moving local issues, including some working conditions, into the central process. A joint union statement said doing so would “strip local autonomy.”

OSSTF president Martha Hradowy said the unions face the same pressures and that a large strike mandate would strengthen their position at the table. She said the unions want the government to invest more in public education.

OECTA president Rene Jansen in de Wal said a strike vote does not mean a strike will happen. The union said the vote is meant to show the government it must make meaningful progress at the bargaining table.

Emma Testani, a spokesperson for Calandra, said the government is ready to negotiate once the labour board process ends. “Premature strike threats do not serve the interests of students,” she said.

The government’s focus is on reaching deals that keep students in class, Testani said. A strike vote is a step in the legal process and does not by itself mean schools will close.

The dates above come from the unions’ announcements as reported by The Canadian Press in September. Parents can check their school board and union websites for any changes to the schedule.

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