Catholic teachers plan strike vote as province contract talks stall
· Toronto Sun
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Parents of students enrolled in English-language Catholic schools may have labour disruptions to look forward to.
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On Monday, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) — representing over 45,000 teachers in the province’s publicly funded English-language Catholic schools — announced that contract talks with the province had reached an impasse, and that they’ve scheduled strike votes for Nov. 12 and 13.
In a message to its members, reported Canadian Press, union leaders hope the strike vote will send a clear message to the Ford government that they need to start taking the contract talks more seriously.
In a statement to the Toronto Sun , Union President Rene Jansen in de Wal accused Education Minister Paul Calandra of delaying negotiations.
“This strike vote is about making sure the government understands Catholic teachers have a strong, united voice on fundamental concerns for our students and education,” the statement read.
“A strike vote sends a message to the government: that we need to see meaningful progress at the bargaining table — it does not mean a strike will happen.”
Strike vote about sending message
Teachers, the statement read, know the importance of stability for both students and families, despite years of underfunding, a lack of supports, and understaffing.
“We, along with all teacher affiliates, had invited the government to start bargaining last March because Catholic teachers are committed to reaching a fair agreement at the table,” the statement read.
“We want to be in the classroom, teaching and engaging with our students and school communities. The Ford government’s antagonistic approach and delays have brought us to this point, but there is still an opportunity for them to choose a different path.”
The strike vote, the union says, is about sending a message to the Ford government, “so they return to the bargaining table ready to work with us to reach a deal that best supports students and teachers.”
The Sun reached out to the Education Ministry for comment.