Secondary teachers back strike action

Local secondary school teachers voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action last week after negotiations at the provincial level stalled.
Of the members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation District 5B Rainy River who voted last Thursday, 99 percent were in favour of taking action—including a strike—to achieve their contract goals.
Andrew Hallikas, chief negotiator for the local OSSTF, stressed the vote is aimed at the provincial government, not the Rainy River District School Board.
“The purpose of the strike vote is to get the government’s attention. They need to put more funding into education,” Hallikas said. “We’re not directing the strike vote at our board at all.”
OSSTF units across the province also are taking strike votes.
The provincial office of OSSTF has taken over all bargaining in Ontario, meaning negotiations between bargaining units and their boards are limited to local, non-monetary issues.
“We’ve got a very good relationship with our board,” Hallikas noted, adding local negotiations are on-going and will continue at least into March.
“Local negotiations have been very positive. There are very few issues left on the table,” Ron McAlister, vice-chair of the local public school board, said at its last meeting.
“Hopefully we will reach a settlement soon and without disruption to student education,” he added.
“Their hands are tied in terms of existing funding,” Hallikas said of the local board. “It’s hard to make any progress on monetary issues.”
Talks continue between the provincial OSSTF and the McGuinty government.
The problem, said Hallikas, is the current legislation regarding funding for education.
“We’re still dealing with the fallout from the previous [Conservative] government,” he charged. “The funding formula needs to be changed.”
But as long as all sides are still talking, there is hope for a settlement, Hallikas added.
“Nobody wants sanctions of any form,” he said. “Nobody wants anything to be disrupted for our students.”
The local branch of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario held a strike vote last month, where a full 100 percent of those who voted backed strike action.
Both elementary and secondary teachers in Ontario have been without a contract since Aug. 31.