Teachers and support workers set up information picket lines at various Near North school this morning and will continue after 3 p.m. today.
They are also withdrawing administrative services.
Last week, local secondary school teachers voted 97 per cent in favour of strike action. A strike would affect 350 members locally.
Meanwhile, MPP Vic Fedeli responded.
"The Ministry of Education has invested $1.2 billion in public education this year alone, bringing our overall investment to $30 billion - the largest investment in public education in Ontario’s history. We will continue to remain a consistent and reasonable force at the negotiating table, and try to reach a deal that provides certainty and predictability to parents, students, and educators."
"What we'll be doing is information pickets and the purpose of those is not to interrupt school or delay anyone," Glen Hodgson, local president told BayToday. "There won't be any disruption to the school day."
The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation say their members are withdrawing some administrative services, such as putting comments on report cards, attending certain meetings and participating in standardized testing.
OSSTF has talks scheduled with the province Wednesday and Thursday this week, but escalating to a strike after that point is possible,
Today, Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, issued the following statement.
"I've been clear - I want to get deals that keep the children of this province in school. It is regrettable the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO), and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) have chosen to escalate to work-to-rule action, only hurting our children. This escalation to a partial withdrawal of services, including targeting math supports and report cards, hurts our children the most.
"My negotiating team stands ready for meaningful, good-faith bargaining 24/7, to reach the deals Ontario students and families deserve. There is a path to a deal, and it requires all parties to be reasonable and fair and put the needs of our children first."
