OTTAWA

English Catholic teachers set to launch rotating one-day strikes the week of Feb. 24

Josh Pringle CTV News Ottawa Producer and Digital Lead

Published Tuesday, February 18, 2020 9:36AM EST Last Updated Wednesday, February 19, 2020 4:50AM EST

A vacant desksa are pictured at the front of a empty classroom is pictured at McGee Secondary school in Vancouver on Sept. 5, 2014. School districts in British Columbia are scrambling to hire an unprecedented number of teachers ahead of the new school year to adhere to reinstated class size standards. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)

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English Catholic teachers are set to launch rotating one-day strikes in all school boards across Ontario.

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association says if an agreement is not reached, it will begin rotating “full withdrawals of service” the week of Feb. 24.

Members of OECTA will take part in Friday’s province-wide strike by all four major teachers unions. The Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association also held province-wide one-day strikes on Jan. 21 and Feb. 4.

Both OECTA and Education Minister Stephen Lecce say contract talks will resume on Wednesday between the two sides. The Ministry of Labour-appointed mediator invited the two sides to return to the bargaining table in an attempt to reach a deal.

“We are ready to get back to the table, but the government needs to recognize that these discussions must be about protecting our world-renowned publicly funded education system,” said Liz Stuart, OECTA President, on contract talks with the Progressive Conservative government.

“They keep talking about being reasonable, but there is nothing reasonable about cutting supports for vulnerable students, nothing reasonable about increasing class sizes and reducing course options, and nothing reasonable about imposing mandatory e-learning.”

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation have also been holding rotating one-day strikes across Ontario.

Here is a list of strike dates for the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association for the week of Feb. 24.

Tuesday, Feb. 25

Ottawa Catholic School Board

Thursday, Feb. 27

Renfrew County Catholic District School Board

Friday, Feb. 28

Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario

All English and French language schools across Ontario will be closed on Friday, Feb. 21 because of a one-day strike by all four teachers unions.

Members of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association and the Association des enseignanes et des enseignants franco-Ontariens will engage in a one-day strike to back demands for a new contract.

Correction:

A previous version of this story indicated the rotating strike in Renfrew was scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 26. This has been changed to reflect the proper date.