Ontario education unions begin strike votes as bargaining dates approach

TORONTO · Ontario's major education unions are beginning strike votes this month as they prepare for central bargaining with the provincial government. The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario starts its vote Monday, running until Nov. 18. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation vote runs from Nov. 6 to 16, while CUPE’s school boards’ bargaining union vote is underway from Nov. 4 to 18. The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association vote is scheduled for Nov. 12 to 13, and the Association des enseignantes et enseignants franco‑ontariens will vote on Nov. 16 and 17.

All five unions have bargaining dates scheduled for later this month and early December, pending a ruling from the Ontario Labour Relations Board. The board is expected to rule soon on what issues will be discussed in central talks after the government sought to add items traditionally negotiated locally. "I'm hopeful that when we get to the table, the government will come with a real desire to talk and to make an investment in front-line education workers, an investment in kids, and I hope they come to have a real conversation," said Joe Tigani, president of CUPE's Ontario School Board Council of Unions. "It's long overdue that this process gets going."

Tigani's union, representing 57,000 members, will return to bargaining on Nov. 30. He said a report to be released Monday shows most of Ontario's 72 school boards have worse staff-to-student ratios now than in the past, which he blames on provincial funding. "They talk about historic investment, but it's pretty difficult for school boards to fix their finances when they don't receive enough money from the government," he said. According to the union's report, there were 642 fewer early childhood educators in 2025-26 than in 2018-19.

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The report, based on government figures, says that while enrolment has decreased, student-to-ECE ratios have increased at a faster pace. It also found the ratio of students to custodians has increased since 2018, attributing this mainly to COVID-19 measures and bargaining gains. About 27 public boards have fewer office staff than seven years ago, the report says, and 33 school boards do not have child and youth workers. Thirteen boards "did not employ any staff in social services/social work," and 11 lacked psychological services staff.

A recent report from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario noted that while education spending is at a record high, it is increasing at a slower pace than in the past. Per-student funding is actually decreasing when inflation is factored in. Unions had asked the government to begin bargaining last March, but the province preferred the usual June start. Talks have been delayed as the parties await the labour board ruling. Ontario has a two-tiered bargaining system where costly items like salary and benefits are negotiated centrally, with more administrative matters discussed locally.

David Mastin, president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, said a day of mediation on Nov. 2 between the province and all education unions to try to resolve the issues before the labour board was not successful. "We're hoping that that determination is coming quickly," he said. "We've got bargaining dates, and we're all anticipating that that judgment will come out and we'll be able to commence bargaining finally, after way too long of a wait." His union is scheduled to bargain on Nov. 26 and Nov. 27 for early childhood educators.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation has scheduled bargaining days for the education workers it represents starting Nov. 20, and for teachers on Nov. 24. The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association will be at the table starting Nov. 24. Emma Testani, press secretary to Education Minister Paul Calandra, has previously said the province respects the unions' rights to take their case to the labour board. "But this process has delayed the start of bargaining," she said. "Once the process has concluded, we will be ready and willing to negotiate whenever the unions are ready to begin."

With files from Toronto Star