Teachers threaten illegal strikes after Broten imposes contracts

Updated video Education minister Laurel Broten made good on her promise to impose new contracts on Ontario’s public elementary school teachers.

The contracts are based on the model reached with the english Catholic teachers’ union, and freeze pay and limit sick days for teachers over the next two years. They will also limit teacher’s ability to strike.

Broten then surprised everybody by announcing the government will repeal controversial legislation that led to the current dispute. She calls Bill 115 a lightning rod in reaching agreements with teachers, and she is hopeful that once the bill has been repealed on January 14th, teachers will end their withdrawal from extra-curricular activities.

The president of Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, Sam Hammond calls this a cynical misuse of power. Despite no longer being in a legal strike position, he’s not ruling out any further job action.

Video: Sean Leathong reports from Queen’s Park: