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High school union walkout Wednesday

UPDATE: Strike action for Wednesday confirmed.

Local school boards are advising high school students should be prepared to not attend school Wednesday.

If union negotiations fail before then, teachers and educational professionals, represented by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation, will hold a one-day strike as part of a province-wide full withdrawal of services.

The Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board said the strike will include all OSSTF members, which are secondary school teachers and support personnel, such as child and youth workers, social workers and speech and language pathologists.

All secondary schools, Grade 7 to 12 schools and Prince Edward Collegiate Institute in Picton, which has grades from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 will be affected for Grades 9 to 12 only.

OSSTF has stated that negotiations at the provincial negotiating table will continue and if an agreement is reached before Dec. 4, the strike will not happen. This one day strike will follow six days of information pickets and a limited withdrawal of administrative services that began Nov. 26.

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  1. Tech2 says:

    If it is not about the money, then why not take the increase off of the table and maybe the negotiations will go a little easier. Or maybe forgo any increase in order to reduce the class sizes….as it is of course all about the students!!!!

  2. ADJ says:

    And some people are so blind to the truth they refuse to acknowledge another view or opinion. But that’s understandable. Please point out any “half truths or twisted facts.” I don’t think I was out of line to offer a bit of info about the educator.
    Adding 7 or 8 more students to a classroom should not be a reason to walk out and refuse to teach. But the teachers are told to do this and it’s all about the union. One of the largest and wealthiest unions in the country. If we don’t start putting the brakes on the skyrocketing increases what will be the results in 5 or 10 years when these students enter the workforce. You think unemployment #s are bad now. Think of the children!

  3. Michelle says:

    We finally have a Government that will stand up to the Teachers Union that hold students ransom while looking for more.

  4. Mark says:

    Fortunately most do know better, that’s why this Government was given a majority. To take on the strong Unions and deliver efficiencies. A 360 Billion debt will soon weaken us severely including education if corrective steps are not taken. Ignoring the debt is at our peril. Teachers average salary of $93,000 should be acceptive of a 1% increase given the Ontario financial crisis.

  5. Dennis Fox says:

    It is obvious that some people do not read and as a result have no idea of what they go on about. If some believe that teaching is an easy job and whine about a number of other half truths and twisted facts – then let them think so. They are simply wrong.

    Let’s take of a very recent example that may explain why labour relations between the teachers and the Province are hitting rock bottom – – just yesterday on TV we witnessed Minister of Ed. Stephen Lecce, make the comments that he had presented the teachers with a number of new concessions just that day and never heard back from them. Then the TV shows the teacher representative state that Lecce had never given them anything!! He has no idea of what Lecce is talking about – they stayed all day in the hotel waiting to hear from the province and heard nothing?? First it appears that someone is not telling the truth, but who? Maybe we need to think about another question to find the answer – why did the Minister call a press conference to make his comments? It is called negotiating through the media – it is a cheap trick to place the public employees into a bad light for the public to see. It is called “Bad Faith Bargaining” meant to create more problems than to solve them. Why would a government act this way? – to gain the support of unaware and trusting public and those who don’t read and don’t know the facts. They are trying to manipulate public opinion by lying to them – it is called propaganda. This has happened before in this province when it comes to trying to find money to balance a campaign promise. Fortunately most know better than to believe them.

  6. ADJ says:

    Let’s refresh, do we want to go back to the McGuinty/Wynne years when spending was out of control? Two rookies who didn’t have a clue about running a province. Everyone knows their story so no need to re-hash that. Yes Ford is doing what was promised in the campaign…doesn’t make you happy but the cost cutting has to start. The education system is a disgrace and correct it’s about the money. Have you ever figured out what a teacher takes home a month? Remember it’s a 10 month position with numerous days and weeks off during that time frame. Now I won’t blame the teacher for it all, the unions are calling the shots.. Talk to a teacher and you will find many are not in favour of strike. But being a union member you had better toe the line because a non-union employee has no chance at a job position. So go on blaming the Cons but remember the Libs put us so far in debt it’s doubtful we will ever clear the books.

    PS. a top of the pay scale retired teacher can come back to teach part time or at their leisure while still drawing their retirement pension (double dipping?) The downside to this is it fills a position that a newly graduated young teacher could have bid for. Older and experienced versus younger with a new and fresher approach.

  7. Susan says:

    The teachers average annual salary as identified by the Union and Government is somewhere between $87,000 and $93,000. Union says a 1% increase is not enough.

  8. Dennis Fox says:

    People are entitled to support whatever government they want to, but hopefully they base their decisions on facts and not on outdated notions and government propaganda.

    Right now, the only reason that anyone would support the Ford government’s policies on education is either due to them being poorly informed, they simply have carried over from their childhood their dislike for education and teachers, they really don’t care about kids or they don’t care about education. The facts speak for themself – there is no justification for this government to force teachers up against the wall or for kids to take compulsory online courses when all the evidence clearly shows that learning takes a lot longer and is less enjoyable for kids – and there are no cost savings.

    So why are they proceeding in such a fashion in so many areas – for the same unexplainable reason that the Ford government reverted to an outdated SEX ED. program for the kids. Grasping at straws to fulfil Doug’s promise to balance the budget! And yet since taking office his government has gone even further in debt. Like I said – support whoever you want – but think!

  9. Gary says:

    Let”s be clear. People can know what they are talking about on this issue and still support the Governments position.

  10. Mike Rodgers says:

    When the school budget for teachers wages are over 75% of the budget there is something wrong.

  11. Dennis Fox says:

    What needs to be remembered is that these so called “high wage increases” came about as a result of ten years of no wage increases under the Harris government. It was Bill Davis who wanted teachers to have university degrees and higher training – if you want highly qualified people to teach your kids, be prepared to pay for them. But then again Bill Davis was an intelligent Conservative Premier who understood this concept – he was the last one in that party.

    Anyone who knows what they are talking about understands that both the Harris and Ford governments are using the education system to pay for their balanced budget and to deflect attention away from their ineptness. Remember we are dealing with a government that had no platform when elected. Once again, it is important for the public to read and to learn what the facts are – the teachers are standing up for a better education system. If you really care about your kids and the quality of their education, get on the phone to your MPP and tell them to negotiate in good faith and to stop misleading the public. Teacher working conditions are student learning conditions.

  12. Emily says:

    Do not kid yourself and buy the Unions propaganda. It’s about money. Take the other issus off the table and agree to the big raise, the matter is settled quickly.

  13. Bruce says:

    This union was spoiled with exceptionally high wage increases over previous years and governments. They are not representing their members in a responsible manner.
    Prioritizing themselves over the benefit of the students they teach is a terrible life example.
    Shame on them !

  14. Dennis Fox says:

    Once again it is important for people to read and learn about what is going on in education. Here are just a few things the Ford government have done or plan to do – – they have decreased funding by $54 per student, they have frozen the hiring of new teachers resulting in the decrease of teaching positions by 10,000 over the next five years, they have increased class size at both the elementary and secondary level, they have frozen wage increases to 1% – below the cost of living and by doing this have short circuited the collective bargaining process. The Ed. Minister has misled the public by claiming that the teachers don’t want to negotiate and he has decreased funding, not increased it as he claims – he is simply not telling the truth. Another problem now showing its head is the emergence of the “privater school” factor – the government is now quietly encouraging these businesses to get more students out of the public system. Ford obviously doesn’t support the concept of public education. Does this surprise anyone? The teachers want a good deal, but they won’t agree to any of the above and who can blame them? They are fighting for a better system, not a big pay raise.

    What is happening now is similar to what took place back in 1995 with the Harris government. It is the public’s duty to learn the facts and to phone their MPP and tell them to get back to the table and to negotiate in good faith. Otherwise, there will be a battle again – have no doubt about that and the teachers won’t back down. As a taxpayer, I support public education and the teachers. I don’t support this “buck-a-beer” approach to education and to governing our province.

  15. Susan says:

    How big of a raise are they demanding this go around?

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