Premier Dalton McGuinty Releases Statement On Friday’s Teacher Strike

Hello time traveller!!
This article is 4118 days old.
The information listed below is likely outdated and has been preserved for archival purposes.

Premier Dalton McGuinty released the following statement on the one day planned strike by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario on Friday.

As we know, disruptions to the school year have already occurred for some students. Students lost learning time, and parents were inconvenienced. That possibility has again been raised by the leaders of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario.

I want to be very clear: With contracts now in place, teachers are no longer in a legal strike position. Strikes before the holidays were disappointing, but they were legal.

A strike on Friday would be an illegal activity. I know teachers are law-abiding – like most Ontarians are – and I know they don’t want to break the law. I’m urging them not to. While teachers have every right to protest the government, they do not have the right to disrupt class time.

On behalf of Ontario parents and students alike, it is our full expectation that teachers will be in school on Friday and every day in keeping with their employment obligations.

Our government will bring an application before the Ontario Labour Relations Board seeking a decision to prevent the threatened illegal strike activity.

I understand and respect the position taken by some of our teachers that Bill 115 is unconstitutional. But let’s agree to have this matter settled in court and not in our schools.

Together, for the time being, and until the issue of Bill 115 has been resolved in court, let’s give our students what it is that we ask of them every day – our very best.