What will happen May 11?

As students, teachers and parents are aware, Ontario public elementary school teachers plan to take some form of job action May 11.

However, the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has not yet said what that form of action will be, and is not expected to reveal that until Thursday or Friday.

“We don’t anticipate them walking off the job Monday and they have to give us five days’ notice anyway, but we do believe job action (will happen) and they will put some parameters around what they will do and what they won’t do,” said Jennifer Sarlo, Algoma District School Board (ADSB) chair, speaking to reporters after Tuesday’s board meeting.

“(Those parameters) will be around professional development possibly.”

“As we know how it will affect the classroom, then we will provide information to parents on our website,” Sarlo said.

ETFO teachers have been without a contract since August 2014.

Whatever move ETFO is planning could affect 76,000 teachers and 800,000 students province wide.

ETFO is in two-tier, parallel talks with local school boards and the government on differing sets of issues.

“They’re speaking to us about local issues, not any of the big money issues, it’s over staffing and clauses in some of our agreements,” Sarlo said.

“We’re still moving along in our negotiations, we had meetings last week and we still have dates (for more meetings) coming up, and we are making progress.”

“There are items that can’t be discussed because they are provincial items and we won’t have any control over those things…but what we can agree on (at the local level, such as staffing) we are trying to move the process, it’s moving,” Sarlo said.

“What we have done today is create a labour update on our website, explaining to parents the two-tier process, trying to make that a little clearer, and it will be the site for people to go to for updates.”

“We’ll likely have some communication with parents this week in the form of a letter to help explain what the ETFO decision means and what effect it will have on the classroom,” Sarlo said.

Meanwhile, high school teachers with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, or OSSTF, may also strike.

Peel Region high school teachers hit the picket lines Monday, while Sudbury high school teachers have been on strike since April 27.

“We have no indication at this point at the secondary level the Algoma District School Board will be in a strike position for OSSTF,” Sarlo said.

“We’re continuing to work with our unions (elementary and secondary) and continuing to have dialogue, so we’re thankful for that.”    

Talks with the government have stalled, the OSSTF has said, over various items, such as an unpaid day off and a slower move up the salary ladder (pay raises based on a teacher’s level of education and experience).

The government has said it will not offer any more money to OSSTF teachers as it strives to get out of a deficit.

The government, however, has said the teachers could have a pay raise if they are willing to give up other things in their contract.