Elementary teachers with the Greater Essex County District School Board will stage a one-day strike on Tuesday along with seven other public school boards.
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario issued a statement Saturday morning, giving the promised 72 hours notice to parents and students.
The union says teachers, occasional teachers and designated early childhood educators (DECEs) from Toronto, Durham, Peel, Waterloo Region, Near North, Grand Erie, and Lambton-Kent boards will also be off the job on Tuesday. All public elementary schools and board-run extended care programs will be closed.
“We regret that we are going to lose an instructional day. There's only 194 of them in a school year and they are all precious," said Scott Scantlebury, spokesperson for the GECDSB. “Let's work together in the best interest of students.”
The walkouts are in protest to Bill 115, a controversial law that allows the government to stop strikes, freeze wages and cut benefits.
“To date, the education minister has yet to do anything to assist local school boards in pursuing fair and respectful negotiations with our members,” said Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) in a statement. “[Laurel Broten] can end the chaos she has created by repealing Bill 115 and letting local bargaining proceed without interference.”
Teachers in the Hamilton area walked out on Monday, along with three school boards in northern Ontario. Now, it’s Windsor’s turn.
“It is regrettable that we’ve been forced to take this action, but Bill 115 is a fundamental attack on our right to bargain collectively,” said Adelina Cecchin, president of the Greater Essex County teacher union in a statement. “The education minister has seriously interfered with a negotiating process that has worked well for decades.”
Classes will resume as scheduled on Wednesday.
-- With files from The Canadian Press
