Toronto District School Board to take part in Ontario-wide strike next week

Teacher and education workers represented by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) in certain school boards will join a province-wide walkout on March 5.

According to the OSSTF’s press release, the union will “continue to engage in activities that draw attention to the dangers the Ford government’s agenda poses to publicly-funded education in Ontario.”

And next week, the Toronto District School Board will be one of the boards engaged in full withdrawal.

The Federation said they have repeatedly agreed a standing offer to postpone pending job actions if the government agrees to return to, and maintain, the class size ratios and staffing levels that were in place in Ontario schools during the 2018-2019 school year.

“Almost every day, in the media and in the legislature, we see the Premier and the Minister of Education practically jumping through hoops to avoid answering questions about the government’s agenda of larger class sizes, mandatory e-learning, and fewer supports for our most vulnerable students,” Harvey Bischof President of OSSTF said.

See also:
- Ontario Catholic school board holding province-wide walkout next week

All OSSTF members employed by the following school boards will be engaged in the full withdrawal of services on March 5:

Rainy River District School Board
Near North District School Board
Grand Erie District School Board
Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board
Toronto District School Board
Simcoe County District School Board
Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board
Trillium Lakelands District School Board
Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board

The news follows directly after the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) declared their intention for a walk out on the same day. This means that all teachers in publicly funded Catholic district school boards across Ontario will also be on strike.