Ontario elementary teachers to hold strike votes; union urges walkout

Public elementary school teachers in Ontario are taking a step toward a strike, with the union announcing Monday that it will be asking members to vote in favour of a walkout.

The president of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario told members at the union's annual general meeting that the union has come to the bargaining table with proposals on special education, class sizes, violence in schools and wages that keep up with inflation.

In response, she said, the government has "refused to meaningfully engage" and has put forward proposals that are tantamount to cuts to salaries, benefits and working conditions.

"We have reached a tipping point," Karen Brown said in a speech.

"ETFO's patience has run out. Our members' patience has run out. We now need to pressure this government to come to the table and start to bargain with us seriously."

Brown said ETFO will be holding meetings starting mid-September for central strike votes and that the union will be asking members for a strike mandate.

"Based on what I have been hearing from members across the province recently, there is no doubt in my mind that the delegates at this annual meeting and that our 83,000 members want to send this government a strong and united message — enough is enough," Brown said.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation said it, too, will hold strike votes this fall.

The union told its members in a memo obtained Monday by The Canadian Press that the government has shown "little interest in engaging in substantive negotiations" and little progress has been made.

"It is well past time for this government to come to the table willing to conclude a deal to ensure students in Ontario can learn and grow in a world-renowned public education system," the union wrote in a memo.

"A strong strike mandate will demonstrate our unity and determination to achieve fair and favourable terms for our members and students."

ETFO filed a complaint last week with the Ontario Labour Relations Board accusing the province of failing to act in good faith during bargaining because of new requirements for student early reading screenings the government announced this summer.

The union argues that a memo requiring elementary school teachers to conduct mandatory early reading screenings twice a year for students in year two of Kindergarten through Grade 2 violates good faith duties because early reading screening is a subject of central bargaining.

The Ministry of Education has said the new instructions were developed with feedback from all unions and the education sector.