TORONTO -- Mediators have suggested that the union representing Ontario high school teachers and the Progressive Conservative government take the holidays to consider their positions and meet up again in the new year, the Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA) confirmed.
Negotiations between the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) and the province stalled last week, with both sides claiming that the other is not bringing any new proposals to the table—but both parties agreed to return to the bargaining table on Monday.
In a statement released around 6 p.m., a few hours after both parties agreed to a two-day media blackout, Stephen Lecce's office said that the mediator called the talks off, saying that if no one is bringing anything new to the table, the negotiations are a waste of time.
Lecce said that he is “frustrated and disappointed” in the union’s position.
“They came forward today with no new proposals, no changes to their position, and no ideas on how to advance negotiations,” he said. “We have made a reasonable offer on compensation for the second highest paid educators in the country, as well as other enhancements to our initial offer to OSSTF.”
“We are calling on OSSTF put forward proposals to advance negotiations and to cancel the needless job action which only hurts our students.”
Union president Harvey Bischof has said that while his members are concerned about wages, salary wasn't raised in Monday's negotiations.
“Compensation was not raised for one second in today’s bargaining,” Bischof told CP24. “So to claim that compensation is somehow the holdup, when in fact it’s quality of education and we had zero discussion about compensation today tells you that once again the minister is attempting to mislead the public for his own political purposes and my members are disheartened by his ongoing attempt to discredit their commitment to their students.”
Other issues of concern to the union include larger classroom sizes and mandatory online courses.
A spokesperson for the OPSDA told CTV News Toronto that mediators suggested both parties use the holidays to "consider their positions."
Mediators are expected to call the parties back in the new year to discuss further steps.
Bischof confirmed that because of the stalled negotiatoins, the one-day strike will take place on Wednesday as planned.
“On the recommendation of the mediator, we won’t be meeting tomorrow, which means that there will be action on Wednesday in selected boards around the province and we’ll see what happens after that.”
Last Friday, the OSSTF announced that members would participate in another one-day strike on Dec. 18 that will affect 10 different school boards, including in York and in Halton.
The OSSTF is also one of four major teachers’ unions that launched charter challenges to a law capping public sector wage increases at one per cent for the next three years. Bischof has said that the law, which was passed as negotiations were set to begin, showed that the provincial government was not interested in negotiating in good faith.
The OSSTF represents more than 60,000 public high school teachers, educational assistants, early childhood educators, and school support staff.
With files from the Canadian Press
