Most of Ontario's public elementary schools are closed today, amid a province-wide strike by the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario.
All 83,000 of ETFO's members are striking, as part of escalated rotating strikes that will also lead to a four-day weekend for local public elementary students, as ETFO members with the Algoma District School Board are also striking tomorrow.
The ADSB's confirmed the strikes are closing all its elementary schools, 7/8 programs in secondary schools, and Adult and Basic Literacy Skills programs, with scheduled School Council or school-based meetings, activities, and sports cancelled, though community use of schools is allowed to continue as normal.
Local ETFO members will also strike on back-to-back days next week, with another province-wide strike on Tuesday, February 12th, and a local walkout on Wednesday the 12th.
ETFO says this comes after a deal was "within reach" in recent talks, but they fell apart when the government "abruptly changes its position at the eleventh hour", tabling what ETFO calls "impossible options they...could not accept" - particularly for special education funding.
While Education Minister Stephen Lecce's said the union was focused on substantial increases to benefits and wages, ETFO President Sam Hammond says salary was not addressed in the recent talks and he refutes Lecce's claim government negotiators signed a letter committing to maintain the current Kindergarten model.