TORONTO -- Students in Ontario's public elementary schools won't get their extracurricular activities back any time soon.
The union representing public elementary school teachers said Thursday it won't ask its 76,000 members to resume voluntary activities, like sports teams and clubs.
The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario said it will take "real actions" for Premier Kathleen Wynne's government to regain the confidence of teachers.
"While we have experienced a marked and welcome change in the Wynne government's approach to addressing its relationship with teachers, this has yet to translate into real change," ETFO President Sam Hammond said in a release.
"In these circumstances, ETFO's advice regarding voluntary, extracurricular activities remains unchanged."
But Hammond said the union is still willing to work with the governing Liberals.
"We look forward to responses from the government team that address the key issues that ETFO has brought to the table on behalf of members," he said.
Education Minister Liz Sandals said she's pleased that ETFO wants to keep talking to repair the relationship.
"But it is disappointed that ETFO has decided not to resume the voluntary provision of extracurricular activities at this time," she said in a statement.
"Extracurricular activities enrich the educational experience of both students and teachers."
ETFO is going in the opposite direction from the union representing public high school teachers, which urged its members last week to return to voluntary activities.
But the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation said the majority of teachers don't want to go back because they're still too angry with the government for imposing contracts.
The Liberals used controversial legislation to foist the contracts on teachers in January, which cut benefits and froze the wages of most instructors.
The two unions had urged their members to stop all voluntary activities in their labour battle with the government, which resulted in rotating one-day strikes last December.
