TCDSB elementary teachers vote in favour of strike action amid bargaining: sources

The Toronto Catholic District School Board elementary teachers have voted in favour of strike action as they are set to return to the bargaining table with the school board, two sources close to the situation tell CityNews.

In a screenshot of an email obtained by CityNews, the Toronto Elementary Catholic Teachers (TECT) union says teachers voted 90.8 per cent in favour of strike action during a meeting Tuesday evening.

The two sides are set to return to the bargaining table on April 27. Neither the union or the school board would confirm the vote in favour of strike action to CityNews.

Union President Julie Altomare-DiNunzio said they were unable to comment “as we are still in the bargaining process which remains confidential at this time.”

Among the items being discussed in bargaining include eliminating a Friday PA day in lieu of teachers working parent-teacher interviews over two evenings.

Also:

• Infractions that teachers receive would need to be reported to the board within 48 hours, whether teachers are guilty or innocent. This includes violations of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act … such as speeding tickets.
• Currently if a teacher is absent for five days, they need a doctor’s note. The board wants to require a doctor’s note for a single-day absence.
• The school board also wants to restrict when union reps can join teachers in meetings with administration.

The TECT represents over 4,000 elementary Catholic school teachers who work in Toronto.

With files from Diana Pereira