Local elementary school teachers are on strike today (Jan. 28) for the first time since 2012.
Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) president Sam Hammond joined Orangeville teachers this morning on the picket line.
Hammond adds thatĀ fair contract talks must include: appropriate funding for Special Education; a strategy to address classroom violence; maintaining our internationally recognized Kindergarten program; fair hiring practices; class sizes that meet the needs of elementary students; and compensation that keeps up with inflation.
A local teacher tells myFM News that current funding isn’t meeting student needs.
Local elementary teachers and occasional teachers are scheduled to strike again on February 4 and 6.
However, a Ministry of Labour mediator has called both ETFO and the province back to the table. Both parties will return to bargaining on Wednesday.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the province’s “hope is the union will come to the table with realistic proposals that prioritize student success over compensation demands.”