|
Strike news as it unfolds. If you have any comments, additions, or corrections, send them to heretitleplace@iname.com.
Other things to read:
- Bill 160: Straight from the Horses' Mouths
"These are simply quotes
from the government and union documents concerning the key issues."
- Why Students Need their Own Voice
"It is easy to see that both the government and the teacher’s unions of the province of Ontario have mandates to carry out, and axes to
grind. That is nothing new."
- Resources
A directory of links to websites by the government, unions, teachers and students.
10/02/97 - Rumours
The rumour mill has been working overtime this week, as news of the potential Ontario Teachers strike started filtering through to the masses. Here is where our story begins, and if you thought HTP writing was biased and juvenile, try making any objective decisions based on the OSSTF publications or Right-Wing propaganda, which describe union leaders and politicians as variously "pissing on" and "gang-raping" each other, and vice versa. A quick phone call to the Ontario Teacher's Federation Hotline reveals that teachers plan to meet Snobelen next week to discuss possible changes to Bill 160. Eileen Lennon, president of the OTF is quoted as saying, "Our position is unchanged, unless the government backs off its legislative agenda, the schools of the province will shut down".
10/03/97 - Student Protest
 Today news about two recent student protests, both of which happened in the past two days - one in Ottawa, and one in downtown Toronto. In Toronto, about 300 students from Central Tech High walked out in protest of cuts to education and the possible teachers strike. They took their message straight to the belly of the beast, so to speak, as their march ended at Queen's Park. In Ottawa, students spontaneously staged the biggest mass student protest in recent memory. Students from at least 16 schools across the Ottawa/Carleton area flooded the streets, but for different reasons. I'm sure there were many informed kids who were there because they understood the issues, as well as band-wagon jumpers, anxious to stick it to 'the man' (these were the people making East Coast/West Coast hand-signals into the CBC news cameras). However, the protest seemed to be made up mainly of students who were unsure of the issues, who had heard rumours, and who honestly wanted to know what was going on. Students have, for the most part, been left out of what is increasingly becoming a labour-oriented dispute. With these protests and others like them, they've refused to be silent bystanders in the debate over education. They have stood up and declared that they will no longer be faceless statistics used by unions and government to further political agendas. It was also a good opportunity for students to have a butt before their next class.
10/07/97 - Rally at the Gardens
 Last night about 21,000 teachers raised the roof of Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens in protest of Bill 160 and John Snobelen's plans to reform education. Eileen Lennon reiterated her statement: "We will make it clear to John Snobelen and this government that if they don't listen to the teachers that we will shut down every school in this province". Also in attendance were various parents and students (however I suspect they were a scarce minority). Snobelen is scheduled to meet with union leaders tomorrow morning, but if no compromise is reached (and it looks that way), a province-wide strike could start as early as this week. The Education Minister, always taking the opportunity to portray teachers as out-of-control zealots, foaming at the mouth, called the potential strike "illegal", and commented on the rally saying, "I don't think it is the image that works to the best advantage of the teachers. It does not promote the kind of professionalism we have come to expect from teachers. We have to see through that and act like reasonable adults". Premier Mike Harris said that he is determined to bring Education under the control of the Province. One thing is for sure - both teachers and students will be watching tomorrow's meeting carefully, and anyone without shin-pads is liable to get dropped.
10/08/97 - Hit the Fan
Yesterday, Bill 160 passed second reading at Queen's Park by a vote of 62-38. This begins an eight-day period of 'public hearings', before the third and final reading which is expected next month.
As I have mentioned, the teachers unions are to meet with Education Minister to discuss admendments to the bill today. Eileen Lennon has said, "It would be naive to think that everything could be settled by this one meeting", while Snobelen continued to paint himself as a meak, logical politician in the face of unreasonable unions: "I hope [the meeting] starts a process where we can have a real, rational look at education and what we need to do to improve it". Today it hits the fan.
10/08/97 - Release the Pressure
In a rather anticlimactic turn of events, both sides refused to budge on their stances at the meeting. After one hour behind closed doors, the unions and John Snobelen emerged with virtually no progress. The Minister restated his intent to reform education by putting more power in the hands of the province, and the teachers continued to threaten a strike. Blah, blah, blah. Snobelen did however challenge the unions to come up with better legislation, "I told the teachers' unions this morning that if they can find a better solution than we've proposed, we'd be more than willing to look at that". The two sides will meet again to discuss these changes in the coming weeks. So kids, sharpen your pencils because if the strike does come, our HTP resident psychic predicts it will not be for at least a week or two.
In other news, teachers from schools south of highway 401 are planning to rally in front of John Snobelen's office tomorrow afternoon. Teachers from various unions will be in front of the Education Minister's Streetsville office (if you're feeling restless, the address is 101 Queen St.), beginning at 3:30pm.
10/09/97 - Ping Pong
 The game of political ping pong continues. After yesterday's meeting the teachers' unions and Snobelen both insist the ball is in the other's court. "If the government is prepared to enter into meaningful dialogue with the teachers of the province of Ontario, we have no interest in setting up for a strike", said Marshall Jarvis, president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association. Eileen Lennon, President of the OTF, repeated threats: "He (Snobelen) is fooling himself if he thinks that the teachers of this province are not prepared to walk out of their classrooms over Bill 160," Lennon told reporters. ``They are". Snobelen, on the other hand, insists it is up to teachers to come up with specific changes to Bill 160, to which one union leader replied, "The only thing he asked us to do was to find ways to help him gut the public education system. We can't do that."
Last night in Hamilton, teachers did a little protesting South-Central style. About 200 teachers surrounded Snobelen's car as he made his way to a fund raising event, shouting "We won't back down", and "Bill 160 has got to go" (the teachers were shouting, not Snobelen).
Bill 160 is expected to enter its period of public hearings during the week of Oct. 20 - 27, before it goes back to the legislature for it's third and final reading. The legislature recesses tonight, and does not return until November 17.
10/09/97 - Lost in the Shuffle
John Snobelen has been demoted from his position as Education Minister, in a cabinet shuffle which will be announced tomorrow. Many members of the cabinet have been shifted into new positions, with Snobelen finding a new home at the Ministry of Natural Resources.
 Just as Snobelen was about to have his most important at-bat, coach Harris calls in the Designated Hitter. In this case, Dave Johnson has been chosen to step up to the plate with teachers. Johnson, who has a masters degree from the University of Waterloo of Science in Mathematics (compared to Snobelen who was a high school dropout), has a history of negotiating the government out of sticky situations with labour: "He oversaw government's negotiations with civil servants during a five-week strike, forging a settlement many observers considered a government victory. He also took over for Health Minister Jim Wilson when he stepped down in a controversy involving the release of confidential information about a doctor's salary, and he led talks with doctors on a new fee deal that averted threatened walkouts by physicians", a leading news agency stated.
Teachers are optimistic about their ability to negotiate with the new minister. Marshall Jarvis, President of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association said, "I'm hoping the government is sending a signal that they want to resolve a very difficult situation", while other union leaders such as Maret Sadem-Thompson (Federation of Women Teachers) echoed his sentiments, "This is a real opportunity for a fresh start".
10/15/97 - Strike Deadline Set
Representatives of the various teachers unions have set October 29 as their final Strike Deadline. Unless significant wheeling and dealing is done in the next week or two, we've got a ticket to walkout-city. Although the meeting between Dave Johnson and the unions was anticipated this week, he has been tied up at a PC retreat, and is busy getting briefed on his new job. These meetings are expected to begin next week; at the same time, bill 160 will begin an 8-day period of public hearings.
10/21/1997 - And now it's time for the breakdown.
 Teachers' unions met with new Education Minister Dave Johnson for the first time last night - the outcome disastrous. After 85 minutes, both sides refused to abandon their rhetoric, and the unions set an ultimatum: If the Minister does not 'back down' on major sections of Bill 160, a strike date could be set as early as today. "Parents should be on the alert that schools may be closed in the very near future", said Eileen Lennon, president of the OTF.
The unions have promised to give 48 hours notice before beginning their 'illegal' strike, which means it could be 'no more pencils, no more books' time by Thursday.
Johnson has dodged questions about the government's plans in the case of a strike (which would shut down every public, catholic, elementary, and secondary school in the province). Back-to-work legislation is expected, but Johnson is sceptical as to its worth, "The law already says that teachers must be in school, that principals must be in school, that vice-principals must be in school," he said. "So, if that law is broken . . . I guess the question is, will another law bring them back into the classrooms?".
Teachers will meet with Johnson again today. As Lennon puts it, "We have hours, not days, to resolve these issues."
10/22/1997 - Let’s get it on
After an extended meeting at OTF headquarters last night, teachers’ unions held a press conference this morning at 10:00. A strike date
was set for this Monday.
What this means is that if no compromise is reached by Monday, teachers will be out on the street instead of in class. I should probably finish this diary entry, but I have to start waxing down my surfboard.
10/27/1997 - Rise and Shine
Having come to a stand-still negotiation-wise, teachers across the province stood on picket lines starting at 6:00 am. Parents scrambled to find daycare (the Minister has promised to provide $40 per day to every family with a child under 13); students spent the day wondering what to do with an unexpected holiday.
10/28/1997 - "You can't fight City Hall"
A group of students staged a rally at Mississauga City Hall today. 30 or so students gathered on the steps of the giant barn and waved placards, occasionally drawing a honk from a passing motorist. Favorite quote: "Who's got the 'Honk if you like cookies' sign?!".
Afterwards, concerned students held a meeting in the Mississauga Central Library to discuss plans for a GTA-wide student rally at Queen's Park on Thursday.
10/30/1997 - Outnumbered and Outfoxed
Organizers of the Queen's Park student rally are licking their wounds today after lack-lustre attendance caused the planned 3-hour rally to fizzle. Students, who had originally planned on asking teachers to 'leave the grounds', found themselves outnumbered by the handful of teachers mingling on the Legislature lawn. Several media-vans and police barricades seemed out of place as the students formed small groups and eventually dissipated.
 The protest today was perhaps over-shadowed by similar protests in the past weeks, as well as a rally just yesterday, in which students confronted teachers, asking them to get back to work. Attendance was also hindered by the fact that popular East-Cost rockers Sandbox were performing at MuchMusic, drawing large numbers of teens to the large tinted windows at Queen & John - and away from the rally.
10/31/1997 - The Suspense is Killing Me
The ball was put in play today in a game designed by the government to bring a quick end to the strike. Lawyers representing the government argued in court for an injunction which could force teachers back to work by Monday. Teachers' unions have refused to comment on whether or not they would obey an injunction, if one was granted.
11/02/1997 - Back to the Drawing Board
The teachers unions and government have been given 15 hours to negotiate an end to the province wide teacher's strike. Both sides had their day in court; the government arguing that the teachers' strike is illegal, and causing irreparable harm, and the unions arguing that their job-action is a 'political protest', and than irreparable harm has not occurred yet. The judge has promised to delay his judgment if the two sides show any sign of progress.
11/03/1997 - No End in Sight
Mr. Justice James MacPherson ruled against the government in their bid for a court injunction against protesting teachers. Eileen Lennon is quoted as saying "our protest continues", since the government has failed to bring changes to the legislation which teachers can accept. On picket lines across the province, teachers celebrated the 'moral victory', while some parents grumbled about the possibility of a very long strike.
11/06/1997 - Amendment Deadline Passes
The deadline for amendments to Bill 160 was last night (Wednesday) at 5:00pm. Education Minister has amended the bill so that many of the contentious issues are spelled out in the bill itself, as opposed to 'regulated' by parliament. A summary of these changes follows:
- No board in Ontario would be allowed to increase its average class size above the current Ontario average. Those boards now above the provincial average would, over time, have to reduce their average class size to the current average.
- The government would "entrench in legislation" the amount of time teachers should spend with their students.
- Ontario secondary school teachers, including department heads, would be required to spend 1,250 minutes per week in the classroom. That figure reflects the national average for classroom instructional time while allowing principals the flexibility, the government says, to assign less instructional time to some teachers.
- An increase in classroom time of just under one half hour per day for secondary school teachers. The amendments would also require elementary teachers to spend at least 1,300 minutes a week on average in the classroom. That figure represents the national average now and means no increased time for elementary teachers.
- The section on uncertified teachers has been clarified. It now states that uncertified teachers will be present to assist and complement certified teachers, rather than replace them.
11/07/1997 - And Then There Were Two
3 of 5 teachers unions decided this week to order their teachers back to work on Monday. On Thursday night, leaders of the Federation of Women Teachers' Associations of Ontario, the Ontario Public School Teachers' Federation and the Franco-Ontarian Teachers' Association announced they would end their walkout.
The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF), and English Catholic Teachers Federation, together representing some 67,000 teachers, have yet to decide what to do. Union leaders Earl Manners (OSSTF) and Marshall Jarvis will meet with their union officials this weekend to plan their next move.
11/08/1997 - Solidarity Not So Solid
News of the partial end to the walkout was met with mixed reactions. Many parents and teachers were glad to be going back to school, and returning things to normal. Union leaders claimed that nothing more could be accomplished with the current form of protest, and that it was now up to parents to pick up the torch.
Other teachers were upset that their leaders made the decision without consulting them first. A Toronto teacher was quoted in the Toronto Star as saying, "We left the other unions hanging out to dry. We went out together; we should have gone back together. The women teachers' federation leaders sold us out."
Similar sentiments were echoed throughout the province as many teachers spent their last day on the picket lines. OTF President Eileen Lennon was also disappointed in the union split, saying "I would have preferred if we had all decided together - it would be dishonest for me to say anything else - if all the affiliates had made the decision at the same time."
|
