Most Ontario teachers have now lost between 2 and 3 days of regular pay because of strikes

Members of the teachers’ unions who have been pursuing rotating strikes have lost between two and three days of regular pay because of walkouts.

Teachers are paid a salary to work 194 days per year, which has resulted in them losing about 0.5 per cent of their salary per strike day so far. If the unions proceed with a fourth strike day for their members, that will result in a loss of pay at about two per cent, the inflation rate that was recorded by Statistics Canada for December 2019.

By the end of Friday, all members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) will have had three strike days since rotating, one-day walkouts began for their union in January. By the end of next week, if the ETFO doesn’t reach an agreement with the province, the strike days for members will total five, making their loss of pay beyond the two per cent inflation rate recorded in December.

Members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) have had two or three strike days, depending on what school board they’re a part of, whereas those who are a part of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) have had two strike days.

On Friday, the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO) said it will begin holding province-wide walkouts once a week, starting next week.

Members of the unions that are pursuing strike action get strike pay, but this still doesn’t match what they would get paid on a regular day.

Strike pay for OSSTF members for the first 10 days is $55 per day, according to union president Harvey Bischof. From the eleventh day onward, members get $65 per day, plus $5 per dependent.

For ETFO members, strike pay is $75 a day if they’re picketing, Janet Bigham, president of the Simcoe County Elementary Teachers’ Federation, told Global News.

OECTA hasn’t disclosed the pay it gives its members on strike days.

All four teachers’ unions — OSSTF, ETFO, OECTA and AEFO — have announced four separate legal challenges to Bill 124, which was passed in November and caps public sector raises at one per cent per year for the next three years. The unions are arguing that the bill is a direct attack on the bargaining rights of unions in the province.

“Our proposal on salary is cost of living, which happens to be about two per cent right now, but we’re actually saying it should be pegged to inflation,” Bischoff said.

In a statement, OECTA president Liz Stuart said compensation is one of many issues being discussed in contract negotiations.

“The details of the association’s proposals at the bargaining table are confidential to the table,” she said in a statement. “It would be our preference to discuss the issue rather than have the government legislate it.”

1:54 More teachers strikes planned for next week across Ontario

Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce has framed compensation as a key issue for all the teachers’ unions, but the unions have said they’re fighting against the cuts that have been made to education by the Ford government.

ETFO has said key issues for its members are regarding more supports for students with special needs, addressing violence in schools, class sizes and preserving full-day kindergarten. Recently, Lecce said the government would maintain the full-day kindergarten program.

OSSTF has cited staffing levels of education workers and teachers, class-sizes, the mandatory e-learning program put forward by the province and compensation as issues for which they are fighting. OECTA is also objecting to a number of the government’s education cuts, relating to class sizes and mandatory e-learning.

Next week, ETFO members across the province will have two strike days — all members will strike on Tuesday and during one other day next week, depending on their school board. AEFO will have its first province-wide walkout on Thursday, and OECTA will enhance its administrative job action on Tuesday.

–With files from Global’s Travis Dhanraj and The Canadian Press