Ontario teachers wants you to know the facts about their strike - "it's not about the money"

[Dazzle]

TORONTO -- Tensions between Ontario elementary teachers and school boards ramped up Tuesday with the boards putting a $3.2-billion figure on teacher contract demands, which the teachers' union decried as a deflection tactic over report cards.

When contract negotiations began with the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, both sides signed ground rules preventing them from discussing bargaining details in public, but in light of an ad campaign and statements in the media by the teachers' union, the school boards say they are speaking out.

"We believe that Ontario parents and students need to know the facts," the Ontario Public School Boards' Association wrote.

The teachers have said the bargaining disputes are not about money. But the school boards said Tuesday that the teachers' initial monetary position is over $3.2 billion, including a three-per-cent wage increase each year for three years plus a cost-of-living allowance.

ETFO president Sam Hammond fired back in a competing statement that his union has not formally tabled any salary positions at the central bargaining table.

"OPSBA's release regarding our supposed monetary demands is a tactic to deflect the pressure its school boards are currently facing to produce report cards, a situation some brought on themselves by refusing to release the marks submitted by teachers," Hammond wrote.

Elementary teachers have been on an administrative strike since last month and have threatened to ramp it up for the next school year if no progress is made in bargaining over the summer.

Little bargaining process has been made so far. The school boards say ETFO has walked away three times and refuses to come back to the table unless the school boards and the province drop all their proposals.

Rhetoric has heated up in recent weeks over report cards. They say teachers are transmitting marks to principals, but the school boards say it's being left to principals to input the marks -- which some say is too mammoth a task, with some school boards saying they are unable to send report cards home this year.

ETFO has called on the boards to withdraw their demands about class sizes, teacher preparation time, supervision, ability to exercise professional judgment and fair and equitable hiring practices.

The school boards dispute both the elementary and high school teachers' unions' characterizations of the issue of class sizes. The unions accuse the school boards of wanting to increase class sizes. The boards say their proposal would never see more than three additional students in a class and would not be used to reduce the number of teachers at any school.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/ont-elementary-teachers-seek-3-2b-in-demands-including-wage-increases-1.2425462

3.2 Billion?

This should definitely be made known to the public, if that's what they're asking for. This is beyond stupid.

[Mike Vanderhoek]

In the end you can call it whatever you like " unions protecting workers " and " protecting the children's education " and so on. The reality is they like everybody else wants more money, they feel entitled to money, they want it and are not afraid to gather strength in a " union " and cause disruption to an essential service to have their needs met.

It's disgusting and unfortunately how our society works nowadays.

[nucklehead]

Ontario, the new Greece

[Mr. Ambien]

Dismantle the union, hire new workers if they want to work. Surely there are others who'd love to take their place and negotiate fairly.

[KFBR392]

It's always about the money.

[ilduce39]

Union President says they haven't tabled any formal wage requests yet. If that's true this is just posturing by the board to drum up anti-teacher sentiment. As seen in the recent BC strike, hopefully Ontario teachers play a better PR game instead of the traditional highball/lowball/meet in the middle since the board seems intent on running a smear campaign.

[riffraff]

Those that can. Do.

Those that can't. Teach.

[Mathew Barzal]

Ain't about the - uh -ch-ch-ching ch-ching

Ain't about the - yeah - bl-bling-bl-bling

[Mr. Ambien]

Union President says they haven't tabled any formal wage requests yet. If that's true this is just posturing by the board to drum up anti-teacher sentiment. As seen in the recent BC strike, hopefully Ontario teachers play a better PR game instead of the traditional highball/lowball/meet in the middle since the board seems intent on running a smear campaign.

There is no anti-teacher sentiment. There are plenty of teachers who want to work for a fair wage, and they'd be treated great. It's anti-union sentiment, which of course the union wishes to deflect into something else, because they'd have to honestly answer to why people increasingly hate unions. That's not a debate they want to have.

[Armada]

lol.

It is about the money.

[brownky]

Class sizes is just a creative way of forcing the hiring of additional teachers which...

anyone? anyone?

Pay more union dues.

It's always, *always* about money. The horse**** that comes from the mouths of these people stinks so badly, yet they cannot smell it themselves. The actual teachers better wake up and smell what they're shoveling via their union handlers.

[smithers joe]

it's the principal and vice principal

[Standing_Tall#37]

Well they better dump at least that into the school system. They are producing adults that still believe the maple leafs are the best team ever

[BeefcakeBo]

Well they better dump at least that into the school system. They are producing adults that still believe the maple leafs are the best team ever

This is the best opinion I've heard yet!

[Chalky]

Oh it's about the money alright.

[Violator]

Nine percent over three years plus cost of living.

Definitely not about the money

[ilduce39]

Of course it's about "money". If the employer is trying to change working conditions and save money, it's technically about money.

The comment in the article claiming it isn't is paraphrased, and I'd like to see the original official statement. From the rest of the article, the union is currently discussing working conditions and not wage. Working conditions that, of course, affect both employee and student.

Regardless, it's a legal job action and it's within workers' rights to negotiate wage and working conditions. While I agree the taxpaying public has a right to know the outcome; it's unfortunate that any hard bargaining position made public is going to come off as simple greed. Like the Canucks' offseason - best to wait until the result until passing judgement.

[Offensive Threat]

union wants more, employer wants to pay less. There is nothing new here.

[Edlerberry]

just give them some of that internet money

[hsedin33]

Class sizes is just a creative way of forcing the hiring of additional teachers which...

anyone? anyone?

Pay more union dues.

It's always, *always* about money. The horse**** that comes from the mouths of these people stinks so badly, yet they cannot smell it themselves. The actual teachers better wake up and smell what they're shoveling via their union handlers.

Same goes the other way around. Since its always, always about the money like you say, the school districts are likely cutting teachers, programs and creating bigger class sizes right? The school board better wake up and smell what their handlers are shoveling. Amiright?