The blaring sound of car horns honking in support of striking high school teachers this morning outside Newmarket High School on Mulock kept energies high as snow began to fall and temperatures inched downward.
More than 100 local Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation members from District 16 joined their counterparts across the province in taking to the picket line in a one-day strike meant to send a strong message to the Ontario government and its education minister over cuts to public education.
“We are all very happy they (OSSTF) are not backing down from their position to protect public education,” said Newmarket High School special education teacher Marsha Bloom, who is also the district bargaining unit vice-president. “I have full faith in our executive and in our provincial body and they have not let us down so far.”
The union that represents Ontario’s secondary school teachers has said that larger class sizes and mandatory online courses for students are its big issues in this current round of contract negotiations.
Bloom, who has taught for 30 years, said she is energized that teachers provincewide are standing up for public education. The last time public high school teachers were on the picket line was in 1997 under the former Progressive Conservative government of then-premier Mike Harris.
“With the Mike Harris government in 1997, I taught classes of 40 students,” Bloom said, adding the teachers’ union objections to the government’s proposed increase in average class size rising to 25 or greater is not hyperbole.
“I think it’s an important fight, and we’re standing up for students and our own personal children who are in the system, and if teachers don’t do it, who will?” said Bloom.
Newmarket High teacher Jo-Ann Mathon who, along with Bloom are OSSTF co-branch presidents, said she’s on the picket line “fighting for learning conditions, because learning conditions are working conditions”.
“When I go into the classroom, I don’t want to have more students than I can actually teach and get to,” Mathon said. “I looked at my classroom yesterday and the fire code says the maximum number of people that can be in the room is 37. Part of what the government wants to do is remove that cap.”
“It’s not just about the class size average, but also that (Education Minister Stephen Lecce) wants to remove the language that replaces caps,” she added. “I can have up to 37, but I won’t be able to get to those students in student/teacher conferences, for instance, there’s no way to get to all those students.”
The local teachers said they’re getting “overwhelming” support from parents and the public.
“I think the public is on our side … parents do not want larger class sizes, and they don’t want their children forced into mandatory e-learning when it is something that is available now voluntarily, so nobody is preventing anybody from taking an e-learning course at the present time,” Mathon said.
Newmarket parent Shameela Shakeel, who is also a parent spokesperson for Ontario Families for Public Education and York Communities for Public Education, said local parents and families “stand in solidarity with teachers and education workers”.
“We see through the government’s lies and we know that this strike is about more than a wage increase,” Shakeel said. “It’s about valuing our children’s quality of public education. It’s about manageable class sizes, no mandatory e-learning, and safe learning and teaching environments for all.”
Both Bloom and Mathon reject Education Minister Stephen Lecce’s recent suggestion that wage increases remain the biggest hurdle at the negotiating table.
“Compensation is in there, and our position is that cost-of-living adjustments for all workers is something that’s a reasonable ask so that people don’t fall behind in their own financial stability,” said Bloom. “We would like it not just to be for teachers and education workers, but for all workers to have cost-of-living adjustments.”
For Mathon, the government’s proposed two mandatory e-learning courses is a major concern.
“I have students who cannot do online learning, some don’t have internet or computer access at home, or have the learning skills to be able to do that independently,” she said. “Online learning is for independent learners who can manage their time. And I have so many students who wouldn’t be able to succeed.”
Lecce said yesterday at a news conference that the OSSTF “decided to strike of their own volition, escalating (the situation) at their will”.
“We all know there is a mechanism that can bridge the gap of legitimate differences that may exist at the table,” said Lecce. “That is irresponsible and I think parents in this province deserve to know the facts.”
