Some high-school teachers instructed to take job action in November

TORONTO -- A union representing many Ontario high-school teachers is stepping up job action in its labour battle with the government.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation is instructing teachers in a legal strike position to take job action starting Nov. 7.

Among the sanctions, teachers are being told not to attend staff or department meetings, communicate with parents outside of the regular school day or participate in activities involved in standardized tests -- including administering them.

Local bargaining units may also decide to instruct teachers to stop doing other tasks, such as not submitting student attendance or participate in curriculum or course writing.

OSSTF is among three unions who are fuming over a new anti-strike law brought in by the governing Liberals that also cuts benefits and freezes the wages of senior teachers.

OSSTF represents about 60,000 education workers across the province, but it's not yet clear how many high-school teachers are in a legal strike position as the union hasn't released that figure.