High school teachers' tentative agreement null and void

Teacher job action is set to resume at Ottawa's public high schools Monday after a tentative agreement reached last week was declared null and void by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation on Sunday.

In an email sent to public high school teachers Sunday, the bargaining unit's chief negotiator said the tentative agreement approved by the provincial Ministry of Education included language that was not part of the negotiated contract.

The changed language, which was not specified in the email, rendered the tentative agreement null and void. Information meetings scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, as well as the Wednesday ratification vote, were cancelled.

A list of 29 mandatory job action sanctions was also sent out. Among other things, teachers are not to:

• Attend staff meetings.
• Complete annual learning plans.
• Participate in field trips.
• Participate in any aspect of school improvement plans.
• Complete ministry reports.
• Distribute OCDSB materials/communications to students.
• Distribute course selection materials/option sheets.
• Participate in curriculum/course writing, unless it is a part of the teachers’ duties in their role as an instructional coach.
• Attend open house/information sessions outside of the regular school day.
• Answer parental emails outside of the regular school day.
• Participate in parent interviews outside of the regular school day.
• Provide progress reports (written reports beyond those provided at mid-term and end of term).
• Upload marks or comments to Trillium. Report card marks are to be given to the administrator.

According to the list, unassigned supervision of student behaviour in hallways will continue.

Elementary teachers in legal strike position

Meanwhile, all English public elementary schools in Ottawa will close if elementary and occasional teachers unions hold a one-day walkout across Ontario, according to the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.

Trustees and board staff held a strike management meeting Friday where they crafted a contingency plan that includes closing schools and extended day programs if members of the Ottawa-Carleton Elementary Teachers' Federation and the Ottawa-Carleton Elementary Occasional Teachers' Association walk off the job.

Both unions are now in a legal strike position and the work-to-rule campaign is set to begin Monday.

The elementary teachers union informed school boards across the province earlier this week they would provide a 72-hour warning of any job action that involves in-class activities.

There is currently a "partial withdrawal" of out-of-class work that will continue, the board said, which includes administrative and non-instructional duties such as extracurricular activities, field trips, meetings, professional development, provincial assessments and any activities outside of the regular school day.

Ontario Education Minister Laurel Broten reminded the province’s teachers last week that her government has the legislative tools to impose a labour agreement if elementary teachers proceed with plans to strike.