Elementary teachers to continue strikes after March break

MUSKOKA, ON-The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) is planning on continuing rotating one-day strikes on March 23rd if a deal is not reached with the government.

ETFO President for Trillium Lakelands Karen Bratina told the MyMuskokaNow.com newsroom that if a deal is not reached, parents can expect to receive notices of strike days. 

On March 9th, the ETFO said in a press conference that the union has been called back to the bargaining table for March 11th to continue discussions as they have several talking points they would like to address. “One of the big things for us still is getting that $200 million for special education needs,” said Bratina.  

When asked if Bratina felt that the pause in strike action for the past two weeks had an impact on the mediator bringing the union back to the table, she said absolutely, “I believe all of the sanctions and work actions that ETFO has put in place have put pressure on this government. This is only one part of it however as parents and community members have been putting pressure on the government to get back to the table.”