The union representing Ontario's public elementary teachers will launch next phase of their job action work-to-rule on Monday, CTV News has learned.

According to a bulletin sent by a source to CTV Toronto's Naomi Parness on Friday, the 78,000 members of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) will begin Phase 3 of the work-to-rule on Monday, Sept. 21, if a deal has not been reached.

In the event of the job action, teachers and occasional teachers will:

  • Not fill in for an absent teacher or take on additional students if a class is collapsed because an occasional teacher has not been retained
  • Not take on additional duties during regularly scheduled preparation time (including teaching in another class)
  • Not participate in teacher performance appraisal meetings, unless the member is on an improvement plan or long-term occasional assignment
  • Not respond to email, electronic or phone communication from administrators unless it involves the safety of others, absences, day plans or occasional teacher assignments
  • Not update classroom websites, blogs or newsletters
  • Not submit any long-range or short-range plans, or literacy and numeracy block plans
  • Not update Individual Education Plans (IEPs) after the 30th day of school deadline
  • Not participate in any in-school meetings or professional learning activities on PA days, opting instead to use the time for their own professional development within the classroom
  • Not prepare report card comments or complete or package progress reports, though they will provide administrators with a hard copy list of learning skills and work habits ratings
  • Not conduct parent interview related to the progress report cards, unless there are concerns identified by the teacher about a child's progress
  • Not act as division chairs or team leads

On Wednesdays, nicknamed by the union as "Wynne Wednesdays" teachers will:

  • Refrain from any activities that take them away from their classrooms
  • Demonstrate union solidarity by wearing ETFO buttons, caps or T-shirts, or a union colour
  • Send messages to the Minister of Education or the Ontario Public School Board Association (OPSBA) about the importance of "fair and reasonable collective bargaining"
  • Engage in planned lobbying activities including pickets, rallies and letter-writing campaigns.

The ETFO bulletin also outlined the union's "Phase 4" plans for October, when all ETFO teachers and occasional teachers could begin rotating strikes, "if sufficient progress has not occurred."

The bulletin said further details would be released later.

In a statement, the Ministry of Education called the decision "disappointing," saying that the withdrawal of services will disrupt classroom learning.

"OPSBA and the government tabled a comprehensive proposal to ETFO. It is a proposal that mirrors the deal reached with OSSTF, OECTA and AEFO. We are confident that an agreement can be reached within the parameters presented to ETFO and we are prepared to resume discussions on that basis," the statement said.

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

Union representatives met with the province earlier this month, but said in a statement last week that negotiations had failed.

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