Elementary and secondary teachers in both the public and separate school boards plan to strike in Lambton-Kent Tuesday, February 4.
On Thursday, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) announced another one-day walkout affecting ten boards including the Lambton Kent District School Board.
The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) also has a rotating strike planned for Lambton-Kent February 4, and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) is staging a full province-wide strike that day.
ETFO was back at the bargaining table for a second straight day Thursday and has threatened a province-wide strike Thursday, February 6 if a new central agreement is not reached with the province by Friday.
In announcing their latest job action, OSSTF President Harvey Bischof again offered to postpone pending walkouts if the government returns to the class size ratios and staffing levels that were in place in Ontario schools one year ago.
"OSSTF/FEESO members are not the only ones who understand the enormity of the damage that will ensue if this government’s education agenda is allowed to unfold,” said Bischof. “It is now clear from multiple polls, and even from the government’s own public consultations, that a significant majority of Ontarians recognize the folly of larger classes, diminished supports, mandatory online learning, and fewer course options for the province’s students.”
Bischof called on Premier Doug Ford to direct his minister of education to "return to the bargaining table and negotiate a deal that preserves the quality of one of the best education systems in the world."
The OSSTF, which has 60,000 members across Ontario, has been withdrawing services on a limited basis since November.
Sarnia's French language schools, Ecole catholique Saint Thomas-d'Aquin and Ecole catholique Saint-Francois-Xavier, are not affected by the strikes.
