Public school board Chair Helga Bailey is pleased that teachers may be ending their boycott of extracurricular activities and is optimistic that talks between the ministry and the teachers union finally appear to be headed in the right direction.
“I was a happy woman,” said Bailey, of her reaction to news posted late Tuesday night by the leadership of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario informing its membership the union would be suspending its advice regarding the withdrawal of voluntary and extracurricular activities, in light of progress made in the ongoing talks with the Liberal Government.
The union’s advice had been that teachers should withdraw from voluntary and extra-curricular activities to protest the government-imposed contract last September, through passage of Bill 115, which limited their bargaining rights. Even though the law was rescinded in January, the union has continued its protest, arguing the law is gone but the contracts remain in place and bargaining rights have not been reinstated.
But the latest ETFO release has signaled a change in tone.
“ETFO and the government have been involved in meaningful discussions since February,” said union ETFO president Sam Hammond. “Talks are continuing and we are now confident that the government has demonstrated a commitment to dealing with concrete items of importance to our members.”
His message to teachers read: “ETFO is suspending its advice to members regarding voluntary/extracurricular activities.
Despite the more conciliatory tone, the union was remaining tight-lipped about what that softer position may mean in the classroom. Reached Wednesday for comment on how soon activities might return to normal, local ETFO President Adelina Cecchin declined to discuss the issue and directed all questions to the union’s head office in Toronto.
Valerie Dugale, provincial media relations officer for ETFO, responded that there would be no further comment on Hammond’s message until talks were resolved. “We won’t negotiate in public so there won’t be anything more for the next little while.”
Nevertheless, Bailey said the development was good news. “I’m happy they suspended their advice and I’m optimistic that there’s progress in the talks,” she said. “Our students will be excited to get back to extracurricular activities again. And I believe the teachers will be relieved as well. I think they felt conflicted about this all along.”
She said it remains unclear how and when things will begin to return to normal, however, and it will likely depend on individual schools and what activities they may have already started or scheduled.
“I think the teachers, the administration and the ministry all want to do what’s best for the kids,” she said. “I always felt this would not go over to next year. I’m an optimistic person. Sitting down to talk is a good first step. It should lead to some kind of resolution.”
Following the ETFO announcement Premier Kathleen Wynne said: “I’m happy to learn that the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario has suspended their advice to members regarding voluntary extracurricular activities. I hope that elementary school students, teachers and support staff across the province will once again enjoy the activities and programs that mean so much to them.”
