'Only so long my patience can last': Ford takes aim at teachers' union bosses amid strikes

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he is not currently considering back-to-work legislation amid ongoing strife with education unions, but added there is "only so long" his patience can last with union bosses.

Speaking in Mississauga, Ford said his government will not budge on a 1 per cent public sector wage cap that is set to remain in place for the next three years. He said that Education Minister Stephen Lecce has made a number of concessions during negotiations with teachers' unions and again criticized union leadership. 

"Hopefully they are going to come to their senses — the unions, not the teachers," he said. "So stay tuned."

Answering a follow-up question to his cryptic remarks, Ford said he is "not at this point" considering legislating teachers back to work. He has previously said it would be a "last step" and that he wants to get deals done with each of the unions.

The comments come as public elementary school teachers and support staff continue rotating, one-day strikes that have affected boards across the province. The other three major teachers' unions have also been engaged in various kinds of job-actions in the last several weeks, including work-to-rule campaigns.

The unions say that the government isn't negotiating in good faith. There are a number of sticking points that have caused talks break down, they say, including class sizes, mandatory e-learning, compensation for teachers and education support staff, as well as support for students with special education needs.

The various sides have not sat down since mid-December, and no new talks are currently scheduled.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario has announced more walk-outs for next week.

Today, the premier took pains to distinguish the union leaders from the nearly 200,000 teachers and education workers they represent.

"A message to the teachers: I support you," Ford said. "We have some great, hardworking men and women that show up every day. I totally disagree with the head of the union."

He then went further, suggesting — without providing evidence — that the teachers themselves don't support their union leadership.

"I'll be very frank: A lot of teachers are fed up with the unions," Ford said.

"When I talk to them they said, 'Oh, we're terrified of our unions.' You've got to be kidding me. You're terrified? I hear over and over and over again that the teachers want to put this behind us, they're happy, go in the classroom and teach our kids."

All four union leaders have been re-elected as presidents within the past two years and late last year members of the four unions voted between 95.5 and 98 per cent in favour of strike action.

Ford was in Mississauga to announce $1.5-million in new provincial funding for Peel Regional Police. The money comes from nearly $20 million to "strengthen community policing" that was already announced. He was joined by Attorney General Doug Downey and Solicitor General Silvia Jones, as well as local MPPs and the mayors of Mississauga and neighbouring Brampton. 

The premier also faced questions about the province plans to tackle so-called "hallway health care." A CBC Toronto investigation this week revealed that it has become routine in many of Ontario's busiest hospitals and the problem seems to be getting worse.