Catholic teachers to resume bargaining, but plan more strikes

TORONTO — Ontario’s English Catholic teachers are heading back to the bargaining table, but are also planning more strikes if they can’t reach a deal.

All four major teachers’ unions have been staging strikes as contract talks with the province have made little progress, and the teachers are planning a joint, province-wide strike on Friday.

Negotiations between the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) and the government broke down in January, and since then they have only had one day of discussions.

The mediator has now called the parties back to the table for Wednesday.

But OECTA says if no deal is reached, they will stage rotating strikes next week that target each board one day.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce says in a statement that the government is ready to negotiate a deal that keeps students in class.

The Canadian Press