Ontario English Catholic teachers join other unions in holding strike votes in fall
CTV
Ontario English-language Catholic teachers will join their other publicly-funded school counterparts in holding a strike vote in the fall as negotiations with the province continue to stall.
Ontario English-language Catholic teachers will join their other publicly-funded school counterparts in holding a strike vote in the fall as negotiations with the province continue to stall.
In a statement issued late Monday afternoon, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) said the Doug Ford government has “failed to demonstrate real interest to engage in meaningful discussions.”
“We have reached a critical moment in the bargaining process. Catholic teachers have been bargaining with representatives of the Government of Ontario and Catholic school boards for more than a year – with the goal of realizing a fair, negotiated agreement that supports all students, educators, and families,” President René Jansen in de Wal wrote.
“While the government is telling one story publicly, the reality at the bargaining table is quite different.”
OECTA says the scope of negotiations have not been finalized almost 15 months into the bargaining process and that solutions proposed by them have been “rejected out-of-hand.”
The province-wide strike vote is set to take place on Oct. 18 and Oct. 19, OECTA said.
“To continue making progress, it has become necessary to conduct a strike vote to demonstrate our Association’s solidarity and resolve,” Jansen in de Wal said.