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York Region public high school teachers to strike Dec. 18

Teachers at Newmarket's public high schools will join the one-day job action next Wednesday as the OSSTF continues its battle with the province for a new contract
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Sir William Mulock Secondary Schools teachers were on the picket line Dec. 4. Greg King for NewmarketToday

York Region's public high school teachers will be on the picket line for another day on Dec. 18 as their union continues its battle with the province for a new contract.

Teachers at York Region District School Board, as well as members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) at the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB), will be on strike.

They'll be joined by teachers in 10 other districts across the province as the rotating one-day strikes organized by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation continue, according to a union news release.

York's Catholic schools will be open and classes will take place as usual, according to the board, as its teachers are members of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA). Staff at Catholic schools who are members of OSSTF include psychologists, speech pathologists, behavioural specialists and occupational therapists.

York's public high school teachers joined the first full provincial one-day walkout Dec. 4, while last Wednesday, high school teachers in nine districts across the province, including in Toronto and Simcoe County, took part in an additional one-day strike.

“Since our last bargaining date on Tuesday, Dec, 3, we have seen no change in the minister of education’s agenda of increasing class sizes, forcing e-learning on our high school students, and continuing the funding cuts that take valuable support staff and services out of our schools,” OSSTF President Harvey Bischof said in a statement today.

Bischof said he hopes Education Minister Stephen Lecce “is ready to get serious about bargaining” with dates with a mediator scheduled for Dec. 16 and 17.

Lecce issued a statement today calling on the union "to cease from continued job action, accept our offer of private mediation, stay at the table, and focus on improving learning in the classroom, not enhancing compensation for their members."

He said the OSSTF's demands will cost taxpayers $7 billion in enhancements to salaries, benefits and other entitlements.

"We have made a reasonable offer on compensation — a $750-million increase in compensation for the second highest paid educators in the country," he said. 

The 60,000 OSSTF members have been without a contract since August.

The full list of affected boards for the Dec. 18 strike is:

  • York Region District School Board
  • York Catholic District School Board
  • Halton District School Board
  • Waterloo Region District School Board
  • Waterloo Catholic District School Board
  • Lakehead District School Board
  • Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board
  • Lambton Kent District School Board
  • Thames Valley District School Board
  • Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board

The strike will also affect dozens of French-language elementary schools where some workers are represented by the OSSTF.

OSSTF members employed by Conseil scolaire de district catholique MonAvenir, which includes York Region, at the following schools will be on strike:

  • École élémentaire catholique Cardinal-Léger
  • École élémentaire catholique Mère-Élisabeth-Bruyère
  • École secondaire catholique Père-René-de-Galinée
  • École élémentaire catholique Saint-René-Goupil
  • École élémentaire catholique Saint-Noël-Chabanel (Cambridge)
  • École élémentaire catholique Jean-Béliveau
  • École élémentaire catholique Le-Petit-Prince
  • École catholique Pape-François
  • École secondaire Renaissance (Aurora)
  • Campus Renaissance
  • École élémentaire catholique Saint-Jean
  • École élémentaire catholique Saint-Michel
  • École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Marguerite-Bourgeoys (Markham)
  • École catholique Monseigneur-Jamot
  • École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Marie (Oakville)
  • Garderie satellite Copains copines—Sainte-Marie (Oakville)
  • École secondaire catholique Sainte-Trinité
  • École élémentaire catholique Milton Sud
  • École élémentaire catholique Saint-Nicolas

Editor's Note: This article was corrected to indicate teachers at the York Catholic District School Board are not members of OSSTF and will not be on strike Dec. 18, 2019.

 


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Debora Kelly

About the Author: Debora Kelly

Debora Kelly is NewmarketToday's editor. She is an award-winning journalist and communications professional who is passionate about building strong communities through engagement, advocacy and partnership.
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