The union representing public secondary school teachers will not hold any further walkouts until after March 27.
The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation says its members will expand the withdrawal of administrative duties but teachers will remain in the classroom.
“Our intent has always been to minimize the impact our labour actions have on students,” OSSTF/FEESO President Harvey Bischof said in a news release issued Friday. “With so many student events planned around and during March Break, we feel that a pause in our strike actions is appropriate at this time.”
Bischof said the union's actions should have a minimal impact in the classroom while continuing to bring attention to government cuts and lack of progress in bargaining.
“The minister’s latest vague proposal to fund class size averages at 23:1 will still result in significant challenges for students,” said Bischof. “We already see overcrowded classrooms and disappearing courses – often courses students need in order to graduate. This proposal does nothing to address those serious problems, all of which have come about thanks to the Ford government’s short-sighted policies.”
There are currently no talks scheduled between the government and OSSTF.
“We urge the Minister of Education to abandon his habitual tactic of bargaining via press conference and direct his negotiating team to return to the table. Parents, students and educators want the Minister to engage in real, good-faith negotiations. Bargaining proposals need to be brought to the bargaining table, where they can be meaningfully discussed, not proclaimed from a podium,” said Bischof.
