Heather Latter
Rainy River District School Board elementary students likely didn’t notice any change at school so far this week despite the teachers beginning “Phase 1” of their work-to-rule strike action on Monday.
“It’s targeted at the Ministry [of Education] and board administration,” said Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) Rainy River Teacher Local Monica Armour.
“At this point, we’re not taking things away from the kids,” she stressed, noting activities such as field trips, sports, and extra-curricular activities remain unchanged.
The ETFO teacher and occasional teacher job actions include not undertaking any EQAO-related activities, including field testing, marking, administrative duties, or EQAO test preparation activities with students or other personnel.
They also are not undertaking EQAO testing with students.
As well, they won’t prepare report card comments nor complete or package the June report card.
But teachers will provide the school administrator with a class list of marks for the various subjects/strands taught.
Teachers also won’t attend staff meetings, won’t participate in ministry meetings/activities of any kind, and won’t conduct any reading, writing, or mathematics assessments other than those the teacher deems necessary to report on student progress.
They also won’t participate in any professional development workshops or activities on ministry initiatives.
Armour noted the work-to-rule action is affecting all 32 of Ontario’s English-language public school boards.
“It is our hope that current actions will spur the government and OPSBA [the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association] to return to the bargaining table and address issues that truly matter to our students and teachers,” she remarked.
“It’s going to be in place until we deem it necessary to change or something does change,” Armour added.
Bargaining and dialogue between the province and unions representing teachers and school support staff has been underway since the new year.
Contracts have expired and currently are being bargained, as outlined in legislation, between the province, unions, and the OPSBA, which represents public school boards at the provincial table.
“Minister [Liz] Sandals and her government have been willing partners with the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association in making demands that would unravel a decade of progress in creating a strong education system and strong teachers,” ETFO president Sam Hammond noted in a press release issued Friday afternoon.
“ETFO teachers are not prepared to allow increases in class sizes, have their preparation time directed by others, or be micromanaged and have their ability to support student learning compromised,” he stressed.
The ETFO returned to the central bargaining table Monday morning at the mediator’s request, with the expectation that the government and OPSBA would remove concessions from the table.
Hammond indicated that did not happen and the meeting ended at 11 a.m.
“ETFO will continue phase one of its work-to-rule strike action,” he added.
“In order for real progress to be made at the central table, OPSBA and the Liberal government need to reconsider their concession-based approach to central bargaining.”
The Rainy River District School Board, meanwhile, said it will provide updates on its website in order to keep parents informed.
“We continue to have confidence in the professionalism of our teachers throughout the negotiation process, and we value their work with students,” Director of Education Heather Campbell said in a letter sent home with students on Friday.
“We remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached soon,” she added.
