Talking tough

The Ontario government has threatened teachers and school boards with back to work legislation but an area MPP says that’s just political posturing.

Premier Dalton McGuinty warned Ontario teachers and school boards Thursday that he would recall the legislature to impose new contracts if they can’t reach a deal to freeze wages for two years.

The Canadian press reported that the government wants to ensure the labour peace that Ontario schools enjoyed for nine years under the Liberals continues this fall, but some teachers have already scheduled strike votes for next month after failing to negotiate new contracts.

“We have the right, even as a minority government, to recall the legislature before the scheduled sittings,” McGuinty told reporters. “We are running out of runway. School’s about to begin.”

The government was able to reach a deal with the Ontario Catholic Teacher’s Association earlier in the summer. The agreement included three mandated unpaid days off and restructuring of the sick days policy.

MPP Sarah Campbell (NDP, Kenora – Rainy River) called the government’s negotiation tactics a case of “government posturing”.

“We’ve got two by-elections coming up and I think this is a case of the government trying to look tough,” Campbell said. “Everyone agrees whether it’s the government, the teachers’ union or average people, we have to exercise spending restraint. We all agree we want to see kids starting school in September but legislating a contract doesn’t work.”

If the Liberals do go back to the legislature, Campbell said her party would not support anything that forces the unions to go back to work. Legislating people back to work is only going to makes things worse down the line, she said.

Despite wanting to keep an open mind about the minority government, Campbell said it’s the wrong road to go down.

“What the government needs to do in my opinion is to stop doing the posturing,” she said. “They need to roll up their sleeves and they need to negotiate in good faith with the teachers.”

She added that back to work legislation could work but only if the circumstances warrant it.

MPP Bill Mauro (Lib. Thunder Bay – Atikokan) said the government has a good relationship with the education sector and they remain hopeful that they will be able to come to an agreement.

He said his party isn’t a government that operates in a way that imposes back to work legislation.

“There’s a tremendous amount of respect between our government and our education partners and I think we’re just hoping that the good will that has been created over the course of the last nine years will carry the day,” Mauro said.

“This isn’t just about the education sector. We’re out there dealing with a budget sort fall and we are taking steps that we hope will try and get his back to a balanced budget position over the course of the next four or five years.”

Mauro added the government has taken many steps to improve education for students including smaller class sizes and all day Kindergarten.


(With files from the Canadian Press)