In terms of breaking news, it wasn’t that surprising when it was announced Wednesday afternoon that Ontario’s school kids are going back to in-person learning on Monday. Instead, Minister of Education Stephen Lecce and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore were pressed for some assurances: Will schools be safe when the children return on Monday, and are school’s prepared if they’re not? Continue reading “Lecce and Moore Acknowledge Uncertainty, But Schools Will Still Open on Monday”
Despite progress on vaccine distribution, the Government of Ontario announced Monday afternoon that schools will not being returning to in-person learning after April Break. Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Education Stephen Lecce, and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams made the call even though barely 24 hours ago they were talking about the opposite. Continue reading “No In-Person School Post-April Break, Says Ontario Government”
Nearly 200,000 teachers in 72 school boards spent their Friday on the picket line instead of in the classroom, effectively shutting down nearly 5,000 schools in Ontario, and keeping nearly two million students at home. It was the biggest job action by Ontario teachers since 1997, and it was a further escalation in the labour face-off between teachers and the Government of Ontario that seems unlikely to end any time soon. Continue reading “Guelph Teachers Take Part in Province-Wide One Day Strike”
After weeks of separate, rotating one-day strike actions, Ontario’s four teachers’ unions are now combining their efforts for a one-day, province-wide walkout that will affect all schools – elementary, high, Catholic and French – and about two million students in total. For the first time in over 20 years, schools in Ontario will be empty because of labour action by teachers. Continue reading “Teachers Across Ontario Co-ordinating Province-Wide One Day Strike”
For the first time since early December, teachers of the Upper Grand School Board and the Wellington Catholic District School Board took part in a one-day strike organized by the Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation (OSSTF). But as teachers marched, the Minister of Education appealed to parents by announcing that if the strikes continue, the Government of Ontario will pick up the tab for childcare. Continue reading “Striking Teachers Defiant as Government Tries to Win Parents”
Mark this coming Monday on your calendar because it might be the last day for a while that you’ll know labour peace at your neighbourhood public school. September 30 will be the day that members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees will be in a strike position, and now everyone’s waiting to see what happens. Continue reading “Countdown Begins to Job Action in Ontario Schools”
At least one public union representing Ontario’s school workers has taken the first step to job action this week with the issuance of a no-board report. A no-board starts a 17-day countdown to a strike or lockout, but does that mean school will be out again by the end of September for the Canadian Union of Public Employees? Continue reading “CUPE’s the First School Union to Call For No Board Report”
Guelph Politico 