Ontario elementary and secondary teachers call for strike vote as bargaining stalls

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (EFTO) hopes to avoid picket line action, but says productive negotiations with the province need to resume.

Among their requests are salary increases, classroom improvements and better education plans.

A potential strike vote by EFTO could see a disruption to the school year, which is set to start in just a few weeks.

The teachers union is increasing pressure on the provincial government for contract negotiations.

"Without these things being addressed, unfortunately we're going to see our public education system not being as successful as it could be,” Jeff Pelich, president of EFTO Waterloo Region said.

Some public educators have been without an agreement for almost a year, and are now pushing for a strike vote in the fall.

“I know that our EFTO provincial bargaining team and EFTO members locally here in the Waterloo Region are exhausted and done and our patience has run out, so the strike vote is our opportunity to send a strong message,” Pelich said.

In a statement, Minister of Education Stephen Lecce said: "We are available to meet every day to negotiate a deal that keeps students in class and improves the outcomes of students. I believe by staying at the table, we can and will reach a deal.”

Teachers, meanwhile, say they don't feel they're being heard.

"At this point, the government isn't signalling that they're taking bargaining seriously. They may be willing to come to the table, but are they actually willing to move forward with things, rather than not wanting to engage in the discussions that are taking place?” Pelich said.

A strike vote is just a step toward actual picket action – and a favourable vote does not guarantee a strike will occur.

One parent told CTV News: “I think like most parents, I'm not in favour of it, it just disrupts things too much. But, I have a big question for the union. If the care of children is so important to you, why are you not striking in July and August?"

Education experts say a strike would negatively affect students' education and socialization – especially after the pandemic.

"Further disruptions, at the end of the day, I think everyone wants to avoid if we can,” University of Guelph assistant professor Adam Davies said.

They said certain messaging from the province around the bargaining delays is also a potential negative for students.

"What it does is it positions the children actually against the teachers and it creates a binary between the students and the teachers, and the students and their families and their teachers,” Davies said.

To combat that, Davies recommends parents reach out to teachers and educators in their life to better understand their requests.

“I would encourage parents to have conversations with teachers, educations EAs and ECEs in their life to get a better understanding of what’s going on because they might not necessarily, from the conservative government messaging, be getting the whole story,” Davies said.

“It is an important thing for them to stay aware and also think about how they may or may not be able to help in this situation.”

According to EFTO, if the tone at the bargaining table with the provincial government changes and an agreement is made, the strike vote may not be necessary.

Otherwise, the votes are scheduled to take place between mid September and mid October.