Catholic teachers across the province say they will be walking off the job for one day on Tuesday, January 21st.
The escalated job action in the on-going contract dispute with the province means St. Joseph’s in Dryden and St. John’s in Red Lake will be closed that day.
Aldo Grillo of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association says they are hoping to pressure the Ford government into reaching a deal which has centred around class sizes and wages.
“Talks broke down last week and the Ministry of Labour-appointed conciliator basically cancelled further talks because there was no point.”
Grillo stresses planned cuts to education will impact students for years to come.
He believes the government is not prepared to move in bargaining, noting “there will never be an agreement reached if the two parties aren’t meeting. After 40 bargaining sessions, here we are, half way through the school year, without a contract.
OECTA President Liz Stuart says teachers would rather be in the classroom, but the government needs to recognize that they are united in opposition to their cuts.
“We cannot accept an agreement that would have devastating, long-term consequences for our students and schools. We appreciate that strike action will be difficult for parents, but we are confident they will understand our need to demonstrate our resolve to protect our world-class education system.”
