OECTA to possibly escalate job action

MUSKOKA, ON-The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) is possibly going to escalate its job action after failed negotiations with the government.

President of OECTA Liz Stuart said in a statement on Monday that the government “has no real intention of negotiating an agreement.” She noted that they will not tolerate the “government’s disrespect for our members,” and that the union will consider further strike action.  

In an interview with the MyMuskokaNow.com newsroom, President of OECTA for Simcoe Muskoka, Kent MacDonald said that there are no immediate plans for how escalation will proceed but something might be in the works in the next couple of weeks. “I would imagine that while students are off on March break, that’s when we will come up with a detailed plan on how to move forward.”  

When asked if the union cancelling its strike days had any impact on the negotiations, MacDonald said he didn’t think so, “This move was a sign of good-faith but I think the government took the wrong message from it.”

MacDonald noted that he wasn’t sure what needs to be done to get the government to negotiate. “This good-faith gesture did not seem to help negotiations and while rotating strikes help get our message across, they do not directly impact the government.”