BRACEBRIDGE, ON-People are asking the government to listen to their concerns about getting children back in school.
The strike action yesterday impacted the Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB), Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF), the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), and the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO).
Representatives from each organization gathered in front of MPP for Parry Sound-Muskoka Norm Miller’s office to voice their frustration and their desire for the government to go back to the bargaining table and put an end to the strikes.
The strike action yesterday saw students across Muskoka out for the day as parents and students wanted to get their message across that these strikes have gone on long enough and that they need to be settled.
One student, in particular, said that he was showing his support to the families and educators by giving them hot chocolate and coffee. “We are trying to support the staff that are walking around out there that are trying to protect us,” said the student.
Lacey Matthews, a representative from OECTA at the strike said that she was there for the same reason they have been fighting for over the last while. These include “class size increases, the mandatory e-learning that isn’t good for everyone, the cuts to vital services and programs for at-risk and vulnerable students like the local priorities fund, refusal to protect the full daycare kindergarten program, and the consequences that students will suffer as the government cuts thousands of teaching positions and cancelling tens of thousands of course options.”
She said that the main focus is getting students back in school and they will do what they can to protect their classes.
The President of OSSTF District 15 for Muskoka Colin Matthews said that nothing has changed and is hoping these strikes are going to motivate the government to take action and go back to the bargaining table.
“What is really needed here is for the government to bring a deal to the table that protects education that way it has been built over the years,” said Colin.
Miller was not available for comment at the time of publication.