Ontario teacher talks stall as fall uncertainty begins to grow

Unions could hold strike votes after the contracts expire, although no strike has been announced

Ontario’s education unions and the provincial government remain divided, raising questions about whether labour trouble could follow students back to school this fall.

Contract talks involving four major unions have stalled over which issues should be negotiated provincially and which should be handled by local school boards.

The dispute has been referred to the Ontario Labour Relations Board. A decision could take months, potentially pushing meaningful negotiations into the school year.

The disagreement includes staff transfers, reassignments and layoffs when positions are eliminated. Major matters such as wages and class sizes have not yet been discussed.

The unions say they offered to keep negotiating issues that are not part of the dispute. The province says some unions chose to pause talks.

Current collective agreements expire at the end of August.

Unions could hold strike votes after the contracts expire, although no strike has been announced.

That means families should not start arranging emergency childcare just yet. Still, with the first day of school approaching, parents, teachers and education workers will be watching closely for movement at the bargaining table.