Teachers escalate job action

OTTAWA, On. – Ottawa public school teachers have resumed their work-to-rule campaign, after the Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation (OSSTF) called off their tentative agreement with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.

Ratification vote meetings that were supposed to take place this week have also been cancelled, and teachers have been ordered to not attend meetings and not provide supervision beyond classroom time.

The OSSTF says the work-to-rule order is mandatory for everyone, following a similar move by the Elementary Teacher’s Federation of Ontario, which warned those disobeying face the possibility of fines up to $500 a day, the publication of their names in union newsletters and suspension of their union services.

Elementary teachers with several school boards across the province, including Ottawa-Carleton, escalated job action on Monday, including stopping administrative duties and extra curricular activities. One-day walkouts are also being planned for December, but the union has promised to give school boards 72-hours notice.

Education Minister Laurel Broten said union leaders, not the province’s high school teachers are to be blamed for the escalating labour dispute with the governing Liberals.
   
Her comments follow the decision by the OSSTF to cut off talks last week after teachers rejected local agreements with two school boards.
   
The union said it was responding to a controversial anti-strike law that it says has hamstrung its efforts to reach fair agreements with local school boards.
   
Broten said if the union leaders oppose the legislation, they should take their fight to the courts.
  
PC Education Critic and MPP for Nepean-Carleton Lisa MacLeod has called on Broten to step in and stop the labour action by the union leaders, saying the work-to-rule shames teachers who are dedicated to their students.

She would also like the Education Minister to impose a fine against the union.

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