All York Region District School Board (YRDSB) secondary schools will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 4. for the one-day teachers strike — for the first time in 22 years.
At midnight, Harvey Bischof, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF), confirmed Ontario's 55,000 secondary school teachers and education workers will be on strike Dec. 4, and will return to class Thursday, Dec. 5.
"Sadly, the (education minister's) bargaining team chose not to meet with us in the days leading to our strike deadline. Our one-day job action will occur," Bischof said on Twitter at midnight.
"We remain ready to negotiate," he said.
No further negotiating dates have been set at this time.
#OSSTF bargaining team still in the caucus room, waiting for @Sflecce @fordnation bargaining team to come to the table. We’ve been waiting since 9am, haven’t seen the gov’t team. #onted #onpoli #FairDealNow pic.twitter.com/Bb4v3Ve0DT
— OSSTF Communications (@osstf) December 4, 2019
The York Catholic District School Board will be keeping its high schools open.
"If the one-day strike takes place, please be advised that all YCDSB schools will be open and classes will take place as usual," according to its website.
At a news conference at 8:50 p.m. Dec. 3, just hours before the strike deadline, Education Minister Stephen Lecce called on teachers to cancel their strike, saying the OSSTF has not budged in its bargaining position in more than 200 days.
YRDSB elementary schools are not impacted by the strike and will be open tomorrow.
All staff who are not members of the teachers union are required to attend work.
