Ontario downplays threat of high school teacher strike as talks continue
The provincial government is downplaying the risk of a walkout by high school teachers before the end of the year.
Waterloo Region is among seven districts, including Peel, Durham, Halton, Ottawa-Carleton, Rainbow in Sudbury and Lakehead in Thunder Bay, that are poised for a strike before the summer break.
The first to go could be Durham where teachers have set a strike deadline of April 20th.
Dave Barrowclough, the local president of the secondary teachers union OSSTF, said teachers will walk off the job if talks don't improve.
"If we can do that, then that's fantastic, that's what we're looking for, but we're not seeing that on that side of the table and so we need to pressurize that table," said Barrowclough.
Only a limited range of contract issues are negotiated by local school boards, while major monetary items are bargained provincially.
Education Minister and Guelph Liberal MPP Liz Sandals said those talks are ongoing.
"We are sitting at the table, we are negotiating, we are making progress towards a collective agreement, and I can assure parents that that is what is going on, and ultimately, that's what matters," said Sandals.
Sandals describes the strike threat as "part of the process," and says it doesn't mean a strike will actually happen.