Ontario’s public high school teachers are taking their contract negotiations with the Progressive Conservative government public, hoping to galvanize parents and put pressure on the province.

Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federal (OSSTF) President Harvey Bischof says the union is taking the “unprecedented” step of publishing their union’s requests online because the province has been trying to “derail negotiations with delay tactics.”

“Let’s drag it out into the sunlight,” Bischof told reporters at a news conference at Queen’s Park. “When people look at the proposals that we have put forward they will find them fair, measured and balanced.”

Here are some of the proposals being put forward by the OSSTF:

  • A yearly cost of living increase for teachers pegged to the Consumer Price Index.
  • Return class size ratios to the 2018-2019 levels, before the Ford government announced increases to class sizes.
  • A multi-party examination of the viability of the e-Learning policies introduced by the government.
  • Allowing teachers to take unpaid days off, and allow the government to re-direct the funds to student services.

While the union handed the government its proposals today, Bischof says the two sides have yet to discuss any substantive issues at the bargaining table — but says the union is well aware of what the government is looking to achieve.

“They haven’t made any formal proposals, what they’ve been doing is talking in public about the various cuts they want to make to the system,” Bischof said.

In a statement, Ontario's Education Minister Stephen Lecce said, "I have stated consistently for months now, I want to reach a deal that provides predictability and certainty to students, parents and educators."

"My negotiating team will continue to meet with OSSTF – and all of our labour partners – with the singular mission of reaching a deal that keeps kids in the class.”

Bischof says, however, that the union isn’t quite prepared to take a strike vote and says they are willing to negotiate as long as there is progress.

OSSTF represents 60,000 employees within the education sector including public high school teachers, educational assistants and early childhood educators.