What does union solidarity look like in Halton’s public high schools? It’s white shirts and denim pants.
That was the suggested work attire for the region’s secondary school teachers for a day as they began Day 1 of their administrative job sanctions today.
Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) Teachers and Occasional Teachers in District 20, Halton have instituted a withdrawal of some services.
Their job action will see teachers not add comments or learning skills remarks to student report cards, not participate in staff, department or committee board meetings, and not distribute board communications or materials to students.
Brad Fisher, president of OSSTF District 20, Halton secondary teachers, said the call to co-ordinate the wardrobe of teachers is a show of member solidarity for local contract talks and to show support for the teachers on full strike at three other Ontario school boards.
It is up to teachers here if they want to participate in voluntary job demonstrations during their lunch hour, he said.
High school teachers at the Peel, Durham and Rainbow (Sudbury) public school boards are on strike.
All elementary and high school teachers across Ontario have been working without a contract since Aug. 31, 2014.
The 73,000-member Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) began what it called phase 1 of work-to-rule strike action on May 11 by withdrawing from Ministry of Education initiatives, including EQAO testing.
The work-to-rule affects all 32 of Ontario’s English public school boards.
Fisher said the Halton high school teachers union and the board met Tuesday this week and are scheduled to meet again tomorrow (May 22). He said in the latest talks he “sensed a bit more urgency” on the part of board officials.
As for the job sanctions, Fisher said they will not impact student extracurricular activities or graduation plans.
Grade 9 provincial math testing will go ahead as part of year-end exams, said Fisher.
However, one victim of the sanctions, he noted, is a two-day curriculum development workshop in Niagara Falls this weekend; it has been cancelled as 120 Halton public high school teachers will not be attending.
OSSTF District 20 Halton represents 1,300 permanent full- and part-time high school teachers at the Halton District School Board.
Halton Secondary Occasional teachers (HSOT) is an affiliate of OSSTF District 20. It represents about 600 occasional teachers who fill in for permanent teachers when they are absent due to illness or leaves of absence.
Local level contract talks are centered on non-monetary issues. Monetary items are bargained provincially at a central table. It is the first time a two-tiered bargaining process has been used in Ontario.
The Halton District School Board’s updates on teacher contract talks can be found on its website at http://goo.gl/Px3nbE.
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