Teachers start work to rule action
District School Board of Niagara hopeful campaign comes to ‘quick resolution’
District School Board of Niagara “respects” the rights of elementary and secondary teachers’ unions to initiate their work-to-rule campaigns, says board spokeswoman Kim Yielding.
Those campaigns started Tuesday.
The province announced in the spring that it was increasing average high school class sizes to 28 students from 22over four years and requiring four online credits to graduate. In recent weeks, it has offered a class-size increase to 25 instead, and dropped the e-learning requirement to two courses.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the government has been reasonable in contract talks, scaling back increases to class sizes and mandatory elearning requirements.
But Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario and Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation both say the revisions aren’t good enough.
Both public school unions have directed members to withdraw some administrative services, such as putting comments on report cards, attending certain meetings and participating in standardized testing.
During the campaign, high school teachers will also not complete ministry data reports or participate in ministry or school board-driven professional activities.
On Tuesday, Yielding said safety and learning at schools aren’t affected by the job action.
“From a day-to-day perspective, there wouldn’t be any noticeable change at the classroom level,” she said.
Pickets took place at seven high schools in Niagara Tuesday and more are planned for the rest of the week. Teachers were handing out information to parents at the end of the day on their union’s position.
“They’re off school property and not disruptive in any way,” Yielding said.
She said DSBN is hopeful an agreement will be reached soon, before a full-blown strike is considered as a next step.
“We believe a quick resolution is in the best interests of our students.”
Yielding said extracurricular activities are not impacted by the job action.
Shannon Smith, president of OSSTF District 22, said more than 100 teaching positions in Niagara could be lost, even with revised plans announced by the province.
“There’s still going to be massive job losses,” she said, also
suggesting class sizes could rise to well-above the required limit.
Currently, class sections are funded at an average of 22.5 students in DSBN high schools, but funding cuts to specialized programming, such as ones for special needs students, will result in students having to be added to other classes, resulting in 36 or 37 students in some, she said.
Smith also said class caps for technology programming are currently 21 for open level courses and 17 for specialized school-to-work courses. Increases
to these areas would also have negative effects, she said, and that “students who need more smaller class sizes should have smaller class sizes.”
She said more students per teacher in a technology class where power tools and other equipment are being used raises safety concerns.
She said OSSTF’s Niagara contingent is allowing teachers to participate in open houses for incoming secondary students that are scheduled this week.
“We don’t want students to be affected in any way by these sanctions at this point.” Meanwhile, elementary teachers will also not do any online ministry training, not take part in any school board activities on professional activity (PA) days and not respond to any emails from administrators outside of school hours, except if it is about safety, support for students with special needs or for a supply teacher to accept a job.
ETFO Niagara president Jada Nickelfork did not respond to interview requests from The Welland Tribune on Tuesday.
Catholic teachers have voted 97 per cent in favour of a strike if necessary, although they are not yet in a legal strike position, while negotiations between the province and French teachers continue.