The union representing Ontario's public elementary teachers says it will ramp up its work-to-rule strike action unless the provincial government returns to the bargaining table.

“We need (the province) to come back to the table before we take any additional action…” said Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO). “If that doesn’t happen soon, we will indeed escalate our work-to-rule strike action.”

ETFO members have been without contracts for a year, and have been in a legal strike position since May.

The provincial government and the Ontario Public School Boards Association (OPSBA) broke off talks with ETFO on Friday.

“We’re absolutely shocked that they walked away from the table and immediately began to bargain in the media,” Hammond said, referencing a comment made by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne in which she said those involved in the bargaining process had offered elementary teachers essentially the same deal as was accepted by public high school teachers last month.

"I think the onus is going to be on ETFO and the leadership of ETFO to explain ... why that is not good enough for their membership," Wynne told reporters at Queen's Park on Monday. "My hope would be that after the meeting that ETFO has today, that they will be open to coming back and having a conversation about how we can move forward."

But Hammond said the union could not accept the same deal as secondary teachers because the elementary teachers work under very different circumstances.

Students’ ages and work hours drastically alter the needs of ETFO members, Hammond said.

“The imposition of a deal negotiated with -- and for -- other unions just won’t work,” he said. “It is our democratic right to bargain and our members’ rights cannot be taken away for political expediency.”

Union representatives met with the province last week, but said in a statement Monday that negotiations had failed. Members have threatened to ramp up the work-to-rule campaign if an agreement cannot be reached.

Hammond said the union still has to work out the “fine details” of the ramped-up job action, but would rather resume negotiations.

“We hope that the Wynne government and OPSBA will come to their senses and return to the table to have the tough discussion,” he said.

Currently, teachers and occasional teachers are in the second phase of the campaign. Teachers will remain in schools to carry out instructional duties, but will not:

  • Participate in field trips
  • Collect money for school-related activities
  • Participate in fundraising activities
  • Respond to any electronic communication from the principal or vice principal outside of the instructional day, except where there is a safety issue involved
  • Collect and distribute to students any paperwork required by the school or school board
  • Attend open houses or "Meet the Teacher" events outside of the instructional day