TheRecord: High School Teachers to Withdraw From Extracurricular Activities Dec. 10

TORONTO — Public high school teachers and support staff in Ontario will not take part in one-day rotating strikes planned by their colleagues in elementary schools, but they will withdraw from extracurricular activities starting next week.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation said Monday that its 60,000 members will step up their protest against legislation that freezes most of their wages by showing up for work 15 minutes before classes and leaving immediately after their scheduled duties at the end of the day.

“OSSTF at this point is not prepared to take any full withdrawal of services, so we will not be participating in any of these rotating strikes,” union president Ken Coran said after meeting with 300 members of local bargaining units from across Ontario.

“They will be in the classrooms every day fulfilling their duties ... and making sure that the students are safe.”

But sports and clubs could be in jeopardy. In Waterloo Region, school board officials are planning to meet with local OSSTF representatives Tuesday morning to learn more about the union’s intentions.

The board’s working group then plans to meet to discuss what happens next for extracurricular activities such as winter sports teams.

“We don’t want to make any rash judgments,” said Mark Schinkel, the board’s executive superintendent of human resource services.

But he said the board relies on teachers to make sure those activities run smoothly.

“Running a full winter sports program depends on teachers,” he said. “It’s hard to conceive how sports would continue if teachers do a complete withdrawal from extracurricular activities.”

Earlier Monday, Education Minister Laurel Broten lashed out at teachers’ union leaders, saying they seemed set on strike action and are determined not to allow local contract agreements with a real wage freeze.

“It’s the union leaders — not our teachers — who refuse to accept our fiscal realities,” said Broten.

“We would like to see our union leaders climb down from the precipice on which they are now standing and re-engage in local conversations. I am asking the union leadership to choose improvements for the kids over improvements for themselves.”

The union has always said it would accept a wage freeze, but says Bill 115 erodes the teachers’ democratic rights for collective bargaining, said Coran.

In Waterloo Region, OSSTF local president Rob Gascho said Broten’s continued insistence that the wage freeze remains the stumbling block “is deliberate misrepresentation.

“Bill 115 must be repealed so that we and all Ontario workers can bargain their conditions of work freely,” he wrote in an email. “We understand the need for fiscal restraint and we have agreed to the wage freeze. What more does she want?”

Under Bill 115, the unions and school boards have until Dec. 31 to reach locally negotiated contracts, which must be approved by Broten, but the government can simply impose its own contracts on teachers starting in the new year.

The OSSTF cut off talks last week after teachers rejected local agreements with two school boards, and cancelled future ratification votes.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario is promising to give 72-hours notice before it takes strike action, but Broten said they walked out of contract talks with the province nine months ago.

The unions have gone to court to challenge Bill 115, which freezes the wages for most teachers while allowing inexperienced ones to still move up the salary grid.

The bill is modelled on an agreement the province reached with unions representing Catholic teachers, which was also accepted by Francophone teachers.

The government wants teachers, nurses, civil servants and all workers in the broader public sector to accept a two-year wage freeze to help trim a deficit of nearly $15 billion, but so far has only passed legislation affecting teachers.

The legislation also gives Broten the power to impose a contract and stop strikes, something she guaranteed parents will happen if necessary.

“We will do that if and when the circumstance presents itself where that is a reality,” she said. “At this point it is a threat.”

The Progressive Conservatives said the teachers were clearly ignoring the almost daily threats from Broten because the minister won’t use the powers she has now to prevent strikes and put parents’ minds at ease.

“Why should parents have to wait 72 hours,” asked PC education critic Lisa MacLeod.

“The minister of education can stop this in its tracks today, start fining union leaders and unions who violate the act immediately, and we could have all this behind us.”

The New Democrats have called Bill 115 “wrong-headed” and warned it would lead to expensive court challenges that will cost taxpayers even more in the long run if the government loses.

“The McGuinty Liberals promised parents that Bill 115 would bring stability to our schools,” said NDP education critic Peter Tabuns.

“Instead, it’s created turmoil in classrooms across Ontario and an expensive court battle that will cost Ontario millions.”

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