QUEENS PARK, Ont. – The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) has voted to recommend that teachers resume extracurricular activities at the province’s public high schools.
“It’s a very good day for young people in the province,” Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said, along with education minister Liz Sandals at a news conference at Queens Park just after 6 p.m., Friday.
Sports teams, clubs and other extracurricular activities were stopped in response to an ongoing labour dispute with the government over Bill 115.
The province has called the talks an attempt to rebuild trust with teachers.
It has not been revealed what – if anything – the province promised in order to get the support of the OSSTF, but Wynne did not say, only promising it is not going to cost anything, and adding that it’s a better way to bargain.
“The issues that are on the table, the issues that have been discussed are not issues that require new money,” she said. “It’s about how do we make sure that we continue to work together going forward – How do we create a new collective bargaining process going forward, because obviously this one didn’t work well enough.”
“Everyone knows that we went into this conversation saying that there was no new money, and there is no new money.”
In a release, Ken Coran, head of the OSSTF is hoping this act of goodwill is enough to build traction in talks with the province.
He says he hopes asking teachers to resume supervision of extracurriculars will prompt what he calls genuine discussions that can lead to a fair resolution to this current impasse.
Meanwhile, Progressive Conservative education critic Lisa MacLeod has expressed worries about the sudden move, saying she is concerned the province is bending on education standards and that a major concession was made.
“Is it getting rid of EQAO or scaling back the standards in our schools?,” she questioned while addressing the media following Wynne’s conference. “Is it a future process a collective bargaining that is actually going to favour unions for more payouts?”
“The Premier did not indicate whether or not the EQAO was on the chopping block, and I can tell you as a parent, I want to make sure that there are standards in the school,” she said.
While the OSSTF continues to stress that extracurriculars are still 100 per cent voluntary, the union is calling on members to go back to supervising activities as soon as possible.
However, some teachers do not support the union recommendation, and have taken to Twitter, promising to continue their boycott. However, the Premier is not worried.
“Teachers and support staff love to take part in extracurriculars. They’ve done it voluntarily for years,” she said. “They get a lot out of those activities as well as the students.”
Premier Kathleen Wynne has released the following statement:
“I’m happy to hear the results of today’s vote by OSSTF members, and I’m so glad that teachers, support staff and students across the province will once again enjoy the extracurricular activities and programs that mean so much to them.
For the past few weeks, my team and I have been meeting with our partners in the public sector and engaging in positive, frank and collaborative discussions about our shared priorities.
Our government has immense respect for the educators of this province and we recognize the important role they play in our children’s lives and in communities across Ontario.
Today’s news is a great indication of the hard work all parties are putting into the repair of this valued relationship. It shows our willingness to work together, to listen to one another’s concerns, and to find common ground on which we can rebuild a foundation of trust and create an effective process going forward.
I’ve been clear that this issue needs to be addressed within Ontario’s existing fiscal framework. But I am confident that our government’s commitment to fairness, consistency and respect in our conversations with OSSTF and all our partners will continue to result in real work being done for the people of Ontario.”
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Ummm…. Not to force you to do Math or anything ed, but the school year is 10 months long… Plus our professional day is does not have any time for marking and lesson planning, which makes our days a little longer than you might expect. Please try to show a little respect for a profession of which you clearly know nothing about. Plus unions set the working standards which you take for granted today. Compulsory…really Ed, would you really want to be coached by someone who did not want to be there? I hope you eventually learn to appreciate what your teachers have done for you. I am happy to return to extra curriculars (9 years experience) but i hope the government sees reason.
Shame on Ken Coran for save old teachers like CAW. New teachers (under 10 years) are lost most of benefits and they are not going to do extra activities. What did they get out of last 9 years going to school without taking sick days, like 10 dollars per day.
I am ashamed to be an OSSTF member. I thought our leadership stood for something, obviously they don’t. I won’t support their request. Shame on Ken Coran and those who voted for this without asking us first.
Send these Liberal crooks to wherever Quebec sent their Liberals, and throw away the keys! The Quebec Mafia construction deals, the orng helicopter corruption kickback scheme, the theft of the entire ehealth system, and every penny paid for it. The pay -for- two- and- get- one hydro generator scam, and the premier, that we didn’t elect! The huge give aways to the teachers, adding an entire year of kindergarten, with nothing but trouble to show for it. Enough already!
I work at a school in Brampton. Ken Coran NEVER shared the original Memorandum of Understanding with the OSSTF (Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation) membership, the teachers. Neither did the Peel District School Board or the Liberal Government ever share with teachers what our new contract imposed under Bill 115 was. Teachers right now don’t even know what their working conditions are and have not for months. All this talk on the news about wage freezes, days without pay, loss of retirement money and sick days is just rambling. As teachers we have NEVER received any official news from anyone, teachers have been kept out of the loop on the entire process. Unless someone tells us our working conditions we won’t agree to go back and do free extracurriculars. What extra-curriculars will Ken sign up for?
The Osstf president needs to fight for teachers rights. They were the last to do anything this battle when etfo jumped right in, and the first to give in. What is the point of a union who is too afraid to stand up for their members?!
This is crazy! Do they actually think teachers are going to go back to ECs. What a joke. I am a student in University wanting to be a teacher in the future, and this makes me laugh quite frankly. Why should the teachers go back……
Why should the teachers give up their time that is, unpaid time…..
This isnt fair to teachers what so ever! Just remember in the next election what the Liberals have, and are continuing to do. Dalton imposed this law, and now Wynne is continuing it. It is quite unfortunate. Better start creating more ECs at community centers and start giving monies to the municipal governments or pour it into infrastructures so that there is more after school programs for kids, or what will they do for the few hours after school…….some families have trouble paying daycare or supervision already. Well they are going to end up on the street. Have you notice 14-18 yr old crime rates have gone up this past school year…….well hint hint maybe thats a reason for them not being incorporated into after school programs. This is the end result, kids ending up on the streets causing problems. Unfortunate but the way it is going to be for a bit.
Claiming 14-18 yr old crime rates have increased and attempting to link this to the lack of extra curricular activities (a.k.a impetulant teachers) to an increase in crime is a major stretch. Some would say complete BS. The part which saddens me is that you seem to believe this to be true. It’s unfortunate that you cannot see that your statements are a testament as to what is wrong with the education system. What saddens me more is this self entitled attitude and narcissism from you could eventually make it into a classroom.
What you silly Teachers don’t remember, conveniently. is that you get paid 12 months of the year, and don’t work for 3-4 months. Extracurricular activities should be compulsory, if you wish to get paid for those months! Or maybe you’ll, like all other union’s and union member’s should get paid to even come in in the morning? Where do you’ll think the Government get’s it’s money? Some tree in the back yard? Whilst you’ll get to sleep at home or go travel the world in that time, somebody else has to work to foot your bill!
What you, “silly” Ed, don’t understand, is that teachers get paid for 194 days of work per year. If a teacher takes one of those days off voluntarily, the teacher gets paid for 193 days. Teachers do not get paid for the summer. Teachers get their last dollar they earned in June sometime in August. Ed, would you like your employer to withhold money earned for a month and a half before giving it to you? Teachers don’t work in the summer because that is the way it is set up here in Canada. They don’t set the work year. Also, teachers pay taxes, just like you do. So the “tree” that grows money to pay teachers, comes from their own pockets. Sheesh.
Hey Ed,
Teachers pay is spread out over 12 months….they don’t get paid for not working during the summer.
Hey Ian,
Teachers get paid a set salary. Whether they choose to be paid their salary over 9 months or 12 is irrelevant. The amount they are paid is the same.
@Milt, nice compliment, but probably premature. The membership of the OSSTF are furious about this and from most of the FB sites I’ve been following, have no intention of going back to EC’s no matter what they’re union says. As for the elementary teachers union – they are even deeper entrenched in saying no.
How much has been promised to secure this commitment from the teachers?
Don’t get ahead of yourselves! Most of us will NOT go back until we see some changes with our imposed contract. Our union has no right making this recommendation without informing our members about what is going on.
Hats off to the teachers for putting the student’s interests before their own.
Milt I think you mean students’. And by the way, teachers are paid to teach not run extracurricular activities. Volunteering their time outside of the job description comes as a result of collective bargaining in good faith.