Local elementary teachers will be among 76,000 teachers across the province returning to the classroom in September with increased work-to-rule strike action.
The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) announced on Aug. 20 the union will begin its "phase 2" strike action on Sept. 8, the first day of the 2015-16 school year.
"We will stay the course to protect teacher professionalism and teachers' ability to use professional judgment when providing instruction to students," ETFO President Sam Hammond said in a press release.
"While we have agreed to return to the bargaining table on Sept. 1, there must be movement at the table towards a fair collective bargaining agreement that respects teacher working conditions and student learning conditions."
Union officials say teachers will "carry out their instructional duties" and "provide voluntary extra-curricular activities."
However, the increased work-to-rule action means teachers will not:
– participate in field trips;
– participate in fundraising activities;
– respond to any electronic communication from the principal or vice-principal outside the school day (except for safety issues);
– collect/distribute paperwork required by the school or school board; or
– attend "meet the teacher" events outside school hours.
The new job action is in addition to the work-to-rule steps started in May, including a refusal to complete standardized tests, attend professional development sessions, prepare report cards, complete grade-to-grade transition meetings or reports, and take part in meetings or professional learning activities during start- and end-of-the-year professional activity days.
"For six months, the government has stood silently by and done nothing to stop the attempt by the Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA) to control every classroom at the expense of every teacher," stated Hammond.
"Its demands are not about improving education for our students. They are about increasing management rights and a desire for control."
Education minister Liz Sandals, who was not immediately available for comment, has in the past called conditions set by the ETFO “pretty unrealistic.”
