Teachers’ strike to escalate if agreements not reached soon

Growing increasingly frustrated with a lack of communication from the provincial government, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has announced it will escalate its rotating strikes across Ontario starting next week (Monday, February 3) if central agreements are not reached by the end of the month.

These strikes will continue to impact elementary schools belonging to the Peel, Hamilton-Wentworth, and Halton school boards, among others in the province.

“There is nothing to be gained by Minister Lecce avoiding meaningful and fair contract talks other than further damaging the reputation of the Ford government,” said ETFO President Sam Hammond. “Educators and parents are not going to accept the government’s deep cuts to public education that only serve to harm the quality of education for generations to come.”

If central agreements are not reached by January 31, ETFO will escalate its rotating strikes as follows:

• February 3: One-day strikes in Bluewater, Grand Erie, Halton, Ontario North East, Renfrew County, Superior Greenstone and Trillium Lakelands school boards.
• February 4: One-day strikes in Avon Maitland, Durham, Durham Catholic, Hastings-Prince Edward, Lambton Kent, Peel, Rainbow, Thames Valley and Upper Grand school boards and Campbell Children’s School Authority.
• February 5: One-day strikes in Kawartha Pine Ridge, Keewatin-Patricia, Lakehead, Near North, Ottawa-Carleton, Penetanguishene Protestant Separate, Rainy River, Simcoe County and Upper Canada school boards and Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre.
• February 6: One-day strike of all 83,000 ETFO members.
• February 7: One-day strikes in Algoma, Greater Essex County, Hamilton-Wentworth, Limestone, Niagara, Toronto, Toronto Catholic, Waterloo and York Region school boards as well as Bloorview, John McGivney Children’s Centre, KidsAbility, Moosonee, Moose Factory and Niagara Peninsula Children’s Centre school authorities.

This will be the third week of rotating strikes if an agreement is not reached in time.

Parents/guardians who will be impacted by the strikes are advised to make alternate childcare arrangements when necessary.