York Region public high school teachers aren't being called upon by their union to join another one-day strike next week.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) said teachers at certain school boards will take part in the full withdrawal of services in select locations on Dec. 11, similar to the one-day provincewide strike held Dec. 4.

However, on the same day, the teachers will hold information pickets in front of schools, at MPPs’ offices, and in other locations throughout the province, according to an OSSTF news release today.

A limited withdrawal of services, which began on Nov. 26, will continue province-wide.

“Even after it was confirmed that the government’s own public consultations reveal overwhelming opposition to Doug Ford’s education agenda, the government is still refusing to engage in serious discussions about mandatory e-learning, class size, staffing, or any other issue that affects the learning environments in our schools,” said OSSTF/FEESO president Harvey Bischof in the release.

“We are disappointed and mystified at the government’s apparent indifference to the legitimate and well-documented concerns of parents, students, and educators alike,” Bischof said. “Owing to that indifference, our efforts at the bargaining table and our job actions to this point have yielded virtually no progress. We have no choice but to continue our efforts.”

At Queen's Park today, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the additional job action is “unacceptable.” 

He is urging the teachers union to accept a "reasonable" one per cent wage increase, saying that teachers, on average, make $92,000 annually.

“In over 200 days OSSTF has not put forward any changes to their proposal,” Lecce said. “Student success should never be the casualty of union escalation.”

“We absolutely understand that our targeted job actions create a temporary disruption for the students and families affected," Bischof said. "By contrast, the Doug Ford agenda, if it is allowed to be implemented, will create long-term disruption for students across the entire education system, and leave publicly funded education in Ontario deeply and permanently damaged.”

The OSSTF has designated these nine English-language school boards for a full withdrawal of services on Dec. 11:

Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board (Brantford)
Grand Erie District School Board (Brantford)
Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board (Belleville)
Near North District School Board (North Bay)
Rainy River District School Board (Fort Frances)
Simcoe County District School Board
Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (Barrie)
Toronto District School Board (Toronto)
Trillium Lakelands District School Board (Lindsay)

In addition, OSSTF-represented teachers and staff in the French Catholic and French public school boards that serve Toronto and most of the Greater Golden Horseshoe  — Conseil Scolaire Viamonde and Conseil scolaire de district catholique MonAvenir, will also walk off the job Dec. 11.

High school teachers to walk out Dec. 11 in select locations

BY NEWS STAFF

Posted Dec 6, 2019 10:43 am EST

Last Updated Dec 6, 2019 at 1:24 pm EST

Striking teachers of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation walk the picket line outside of Northern Secondary School in Toronto, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

Public high school teachers in Toronto are set to stage another one-day walkout next week as part of its ongoing job action against the Ford government.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) says teachers and education workers in selected locations across the province will take part in a one-day, full withdrawl of services on Wednesday, Dec. 11.

The Toronto District School Board, which is the biggest in the province, is among the nine English-language school boards targeted by the walkout along with schools in Barrie, Brantford, Belleville, Fort Frances, Lindsay and North Bay.

Students and teachers at English-language school boards in Peel region, and York regions, Ottawa, Durham, London, Waterloo or Hamilton will not be targeted by a full withdrawal of services.

“Members in other school boards will hold information pickets in front of schools, at MPP’s offices, and in other locations throughout the province,” the union said in a statement.

Friday’s announcement triggers a five-day notice period, giving parents and school boards time to come up with alternative plans.

Union president Harvey Bischof said they have “no choice but to continue with our efforts.”

“We are disappointed and mystified at the government’s apparent indifference to the legitimate and
well-documented concerns of parents, students, and educators alike,” Bischof said in a statement. “Owing to that indifference, our efforts at the bargaining table and our job actions to this point have yielded virtually no progress.”

Education Minister Stephen Lecce called the union’s move “unacceptable.”

“What it illustrates is a proof positive that if they don’t get a $1.5 billion increase in compensation, that they are going to escalate. I find that unacceptable after we’ve offered the second highest compensated teachers in the nation who make on average $92,000 – if they do not get another $750 million they will walk out on your kids,” said Lecce. “We stand with parents against escalation and I seriously hope that the unions will consider private mediation to avoid this needless escalation.”

Bischof said the government is still refusing to engage in serious discussions about mandatory e-learning, class size and staffing.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce countered by saying the government has made major moves in those areas and that the union has not budged on anything.

When it comes to the union request for a cost of living salary increase instead of the government’s proposed 1 per cent increase, Lecce said he was “naming and shaming it as an unreasonable request.”

The teachers have been without a contract since last August.