Teachers with the French public and Catholic school boards in Ontario will hold a strike vote next month.
The Association des enseignantes et enseignants franco-ontariens states discussions have stalled on several issues.
The union has been negotiating with the province since June 2022. Its contract expired on August 31, 2022.
“After more than a year and a half of negotiating, the government and the CTA are still seeking to increase workloads and limit in class supports. Such an erosion of working conditions would inevitably hurt students’ learning,” says Anne Vinet-Roy, AEFO President.
Teacher members of AEFO will vote on strike action from January 24-26.
"We've already ratified agreements with OSSTF and ETFO for over 1.3 million students who now have stability. We urge AEFO to do the same by coming to the table and signing a deal that keeps students in class," said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. "Like all parents, we know that students deserve to be in class, learning with their friends and educators without the threat of strikes. We hope that AEFO will come to the table in January with a serious focus on getting this done so kids can benefit from our back-to-basics focus and stability in the classroom."
The union has also requested conciliation services from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development.
“By holding a strike vote, AEFO is not saying it absolutely wants to go on strike, but members have been overly patient. The government and the Council of Trustees’ Associations must recognize that French-language education is a valuable asset for Ontario. We deserve fair funding and working conditions consistent with our crucial services in training tomorrow’s workforce,” said Vinet-Roy.
AEFO represents 12,000 elementary and high school teachers in Ontario from both the French public and Catholic school boards.
The Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) is also still without a contract.
Members of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, representing teachers at English public boards throughout the province ratified a four-year agreement with the Ministry of Education late last week.