Thursday, January 3, 2013

Contract Imposed on Teachers

 The governing Liberals are making good on their threat to impose new contracts on public school teachers.

Education Minister Laurel Broten announced the move in a news conference this morning.

She says she had "no other reasonable option'' than to use Bill 115 to impose collective agreements after the unions representing tens of thousands of teachers failed to negotiate local deals.

But Broten vows to repeal the controversial legislation by the end of the month in hopes teachers will resume extra-curricular activities.

Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers Federation, isn't ruling out withholding extra-curricular activities during the length of new contracts.

Hammond says Broten's vow to repeal Bill 115 doesn't undo the damage caused by the contract legislation.

Ken Coran of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation says extracurricular activities may return to high schools next week.