Despite a one day strike planned for Wednesday, contract talks resume Monday in the dispute affecting public high school teachers in the province and the Ford government.
Rich Seeley of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation says he is optimistic as the negotiations get underway.
He is hoping enough time has gone by between talks that they can press the reset button and both sides “can sit down and have some progressive talks and hopefully call off the strikes and get people in the classroom and get a deal.”
Teachers are asking for a reduction in class sizes along with the cost of living wage increases.
Federation members have been holding rotating strikes throughout the province and working to rule in an effort to leverage a contract from the province.
Members of the OSSTF are going to be holding a one day strike on December 18th this impacts high school teachers within the public school board and support staff with the Catholic School Board. Staff within the Catholic Board include Designated Early Childhood Educators, Student Support Persons and Attendance Counsellors.
Lakehead Public Schools confirm they will be closed on Wednesday in the event of a strike. They will also cancel all transportation, before- and after-school programs, field trips, and sports and co-curricular activities.
The Thunder Bay Catholic School Board tells us if a strike occurs “it may be necessary to close our schools to students.” They note it will impact their Elementary, Senior Elementary and High Schools. The board is asking parents and guardians to arrange care for their child, as a contingency plan if this strike takes place.
The strike does not affect the city’s two French-language Catholic schools with Le Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales.
