The deadline for Ontario public teachers to reach agreements with their local school boards came and went Monday night, with many major unions still without a deal.
That means parents should expect more labour unrest, said one union official.
The Head of the York Region Elementary Teacher’s Federation said his members are prepared to leave the classroom again in order to find a fair resolution.
Under Bill 115, which the teachers are fiercely fighting against, Education Minister Laurel Broten now has the power to impose contracts on these teachers.
The minister has not said whether or not she will act on that legislation and impose a contract, however.
Broten says 65 ratified local agreements have been submitted so far, adding that she’s hoping others will follow.
Under Bill 115 most teachers will have their salaries frozen, something which the teachers’ unions say they have long agreed to.
More controversial is the loss of banked sick days and a limit on how many sick days can be banked in the future.
Most controversial, however, is the limited right of teachers to strike and the ability for the government to impose a contract. That, the teachers argue, is the main reason they are fighting the government, saying the legislation is unconstitutional.
Tory education critic Lisa MacLeod says the provincial government should have used Bill 115 to impose contracts on teachers unions and restored order in our public education system. The battle between the teachers and the government prompted the rolling one-day strikes seen across elementary school boards in the province.
MacLeod says by ignoring their own law, the Liberals have emboldened union leaders who are threatening more strikes and instability when school returns next week.
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation says it will end rotating strikes to protest Bill 115 if Broten agrees not to impose new contracts on them until a new premier is selected later this month.
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When will these teachers wake up and realize that they have things better than 100 percent of other work force. Who has so the summer off, sick days ;like they do and are well paid. Private sector employees are told that there will be no raises this year and do put extra hours at work and are happy they are working. Why don’t the teachers wake up and the the lineup for jobs that are hiring 200 and more than a thousand people show up. These people are supposed to be teaching our kids and if they don’t like it, look for another job.
The old teachers who can’t relate or communicate effectively to students of this generation need to be replaced with new blood. This would result in savings of up to 50% for the people they are replacing. I send my kids to private school, so I don’t care if they strike. But the Public School Education System is pretty flawed, as the two times I put my kids in public school, they weren’t learning anything, so I took them back out. Listen, if I wanted my kids to go to school to just play, it wouldn’t be called SCHOOL.
these piece of s— teachers should be in the UNEMPLOYMENT line !!!
What a moronic idea, just like it was when Ronald Reagan did it. What seems to have been forgotten in the air controller situation in the 80s is the complete chaos that ensued for several years following that idiotic move by one of the worst presidents in the history of the USA. If you fire all the teachers where are you going to find qualified replacements? People like you think simplistically. You hate unions therefore they are always wrong. How about you educate yourself about the issues before you spout off?
You are right, but who has the balls???? Ronald Reagan did this to the Air traffic controllers back in the early 80′s, this will not happen in canada as canada’s “leadership” from City to Federal are ALL Clowns, there just for the money and the FAT Pension, correct me if I am wrong….
I can see the good and bad of bill 115. I hope they find some neutral ground in the middle without gouging taxpayers.
What I don’t understand was why it only focused on teachers. I am looking at neighbours who work for the government and bureaucrats trying to raise my property taxes and water bills. Everyone of these public employees were making about 25% more than the the Service Canada NOC (National Occupation Code) top rates. Medical receptionist top rate $46,000 making $59,500, Commisioner of Works top pay $155,000 making $206,000 + $10,000 perks, Finance Director top rate $159,000 making $209,000 + $10,000 perks. Me about the same pay as 10 years ago and no pension, no benefits or no sick days and I am not alone.
Maybe the teachers need to take a 2 year break on raises but every bureaucrat I have looked at needs a 10 year freeze and a claw back on perks combined with a reduction in taxes for the tax payer. The system is heading towards austerity if we don’t fix it now, you can’t take out more than comes in, it can’t sustain.
Bankable sick days? tHIS SHOULD BE MADE ILLEGAL If your not sick, you don;t need to be able TO STEAL MONEY FROM TAX PAYERS, just to enjoy a day off. Sick day should be when you sick (with proof) and NOTHING ELSE. and they should expire EVERY YEAR PERIOD.
it amazing to see how most unions (and union workers) can form CRIMINAL ORGANISATION wich comit crimes on a hourly basis and still yet are permited to operate. Union workers have no place in Canada. They STEAL JOB, do a piss poor job and sub part work and CANNOT BE FIRED. every single teacher in Ontario need to be fired and replaced by a new more competant workforce. and as union workers the fired teacher should not have any right to any of un employment benefit. they need to loose evertthing, house, car, family, they belong in the street. (or in prison where CRIMINAL BELONG).
Union workers are the most disguting peoples in Canada. they in fact working are at DESTROYING Canada.
I agree with you that bankable sick days is an absolute and utter nonesense. It’s not vacation days and should not be used as such. If you’re legitimately sick then the use of sick days should be allowed.
However, you went a little far with the “criminal organization” and classifying all teachers as incompetent. I don’t think they should all be fired, a job assessment must be performed to find who’s competent and who’s not. There are a lot of talented and great professionals in the field still. The newly educated “out-of-school” professionals are not guaranteed to be great teachers, hence the interview process to weed off the bad employees.
Unions do represent comfortable secured job which promotes laziness and stalls progress and striving for success. I do not think educational professionals should be unionized, the education delivered in most schools is mediocre, because the job security is so high there’s no will for improvement.
It’s probably time for the teachers to vote out the unions so they can get on with what they chose to do with their lives—– teach.
Yeah that will help, but then who would take the eight hours to try and teach the sorry excuse for some deadbeat children who get sent to school to not have to be dealt with? Oh ya the teachers on the unemployment line! Boy there’s the solution! :{
Canada is a free country, nothing should be imposed on anyone or anything, this changes that. All future bad has to start somewhere and this would for sure be the start.
You’re right! Increased taxes to fund the insatiable compensation demands of teachers should not be imposed on my family.
Good one Herry69! Just as mature as your username!