Ontario passes back-to-work legislation for striking teachers
Posted May 28, 2015 4:59 pm.
Last Updated May 29, 2015 2:17 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Ontario provincial government passed back-to-work legislation for striking secondary teachers in Peel, Durham and Rainbow district boards on Thursday.
This legislation ensures that the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) is prevented from legally striking in the three affected school boards for the remainder of 2014-2015 school year.
Public high school teachers in those three regions were ordered back to work on Wednesday after the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) ruled the strikes were illegal. The board also imposed a two-week moratorium on any further strikes.
The OSSTF issued a statement on Wednesday saying teachers and occasional teachers in Peel, Durham and Rainbow schools boards will plan another full withdrawal of services on June 10 when the two-week moratorium is over.
However, the new bill will keep teachers on the job until the end of the school year but would not cover the upcoming school year.
And now, there is even more job action on the horizon as Catholic English teachers in both elementary and secondary schools prepare for strike action in the fall. Their union said if negotiations fail, students could see work-to-rule job action or a full withdrawal of services after the summer break.
Teachers in the three regions have been on strike between three and six weeks. Approximately 70,000 high school students were out of class as a result.
