Harvey Bischof, president of Ontario Secondary School Teacher's Federation.SunMedia

Ontarios public high school teachers are expected to be in a legal position to strike or stage work disruptions around Nov. 18.

The union representing the teachers as well as some support staff has asked for a no-board report from the conciliator in the fractious contract negotiations. Issuance of the report triggers a 17-day countdown to a legal strike position.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) is one of the major education unions engaged in contract negotiations that have become a battleground over the Progressive Conservative governments plans to increase class sizes, cut per-pupil funding and keep wage increases to one per cent.

Mid November will be crunch time.

Unions representing public elementary and Catholic teachers are also conducting strike votes and expect to have results by then.

Strike votes are a common pressure tactic in negotiations and dont mean there will be job action. Being in a legal strike position doesnt guarantee there will be one, either, although its one step closer to the possibility.

About 55,000 education workers represented by CUPE began working to rule earlier this month as soon as they were legally able to do so. They also planned to strike a week later, which would have closed hundreds of schools across the province, including at the Ottawa Catholic School Board. A tentative deal was reached at the last minute.

Any work disruptions by OSSTF would affect both high schools and elementary schools. The union represents high school teachers at English public school boards and some support staff at various boards. At the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, for instance, OSSTF represents school secretaries, janitors, early childhood educators and educational assistants, among others.

While negotiations are conducted separately for the high school teachers and the support staff, the OSSTF has requested a no-board report for both, said president Harvey Bischof.

Its time to demonstrate our seriousness, he said in an interview Sunday.

The union doesnt control when the conciliator releases the no-board report, but Bischof estimates that members will be in a legal strike position by Nov. 18. A strike vote by members will be complete by Nov. 15. In the meantime, bargaining dates are scheduled.

A key issue is the governments plan to increase high school class sizes from an average of 22 to 28 over the next four years. That would eliminate about 10,054 teaching jobs and is a key component of the governments goal of reducing education spending.

Class sizes have inched up to an average of 22.9 this year, with some schools cancelling courses.

Last week Education Minister Stephen Lecce suggested the government would consider only raising class sizes to 25. That idea was rejected by OSSTF, which said it came along with a proposal to eliminate all the class size caps now contained in local collective agreements.

As negotiations with all the teachers unions head into critical stages, all sides are looking for public support.

Education workers have rallied behind the slogan Cuts hurt kids, staging rallies last week and launching social-media and advertising campaigns.

Lecce created his own version of the same message, tweeting on Friday that strikes hurt kids and stressing the importance of getting a deal.

He has emphasized he wants to avoid the cycle of anxiety parents face during each round of contract negotiations with education unions, wondering if there will be a work disruption.

But his governments plans for education have met fierce resistance from unions, as well as some students and parents who say the quality of public education is under attack.

Also controversial is the governments plan to require high school students to take four of their 30 courses online.

The government has asked OSSTF to take wage increases of one per cent a year, the target it has set for all public-sector workers, according to the union.

OSSTF has proposed a wage increase equal to the cost of living, currently around two per cent.

jmiller@postmedia.com

Twitter: @JacquieAMiller

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Link:
Ontario high school teachers pull trigger to be in legal strike position by mid November - Ottawa Citizen