ETFO escalates strike action to compel OPSBA, government to return to the

The province’s fourth teachers’ union, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, said it has not received any payment and would not accept one.

“The Liberal government and OPSBA have ignored all attempts by ETFO to get them to return to the central bargaining table, including an offer to refer one issue to binding arbitration”.

The union goes on to say that all coaches and supervisors of clubs must stop activities on October. 28, even if a game or meeting was previously scheduled.

“I want to emphasize that we have not accepted any funds from the government to cover any of ETFO’s costs incurred in participating in the bargaining process”, said ETFO president Sam Hammond in a news release.

Education Minister Liz Sandals said on Thursday there are no itemized accounts of exactly what the taxpayers’ $2.5-million financed.

Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown says Premier Kathleen Wynne should be upset.

Benefits and sick leave are the two stumbling blocks to a deal, Sandals said.

The Globe & Mail revealed yesterday that the Ontario Liberal government secretly paid $1 MILLION to the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation during contract negotiations a few months back.

Although a tentative deal has been reached between officials from the region’s public school board and local representatives from the high school teachers’ union, that deal excludes contracts for support staff.

TVDSB continues to monitor the situation and advises parents to check school and Board websites for the latest updates.

Teachers will also not update class blogs or websites, nor prepare report card comments or complete fall progress reports.

The school board, however, is preparing for the possibilities presented by further job action. The board hired temporary workers to input marks over the summer. Sandals says those programs have already fulfilled their function, dropout rates are down, and the money’s not needed any longer.