French-language teachers in Ontario, Canada say they will strike on Friday Feb. 27 as contract negotiations continue to fall through. Members of Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens AEFO picketed last Friday along with the other three major teachers’ unions. Last week’s job action was the first time all four unions have been on picket lines on the same day since 1997. The unions have said they are protesting the provincial government’s cuts to publicly funded education, and are fighting the government’s imposition of larger classes and mandatory online courses for high schools students and calling for more support for students with special needs.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce has said the disputes are mainly about compensation. The unions are seeking a cost-of-living raise of around two per cent, while the government’s wage-restraint legislation restricts increases for all public servants to one per cent.
The group is using the hashtag, #EnsemblePourNosDroits meaning “together for our rights” in English. For more information visit the AEFO website.
