In recent years, strikes in Ontario have been on the rise, the most recent strike taking place is in support of students with special needs, addressing violence in schools, preserving full-day kindergarten and elementary teachers are also seeking a higher wage increase than the government has offered (CBC, 2020) . A recent article regarding this strike touches on why Ontario public elementary teachers are going on strike regarding these issues and what this means for students and parents. The high presence of strikes among Ontario schools has become an issue, leaving a negative impact on the students, parents and the school itself whilst only sometimes benefitting the teachers.
In the article it mentions that the province is offering up to $60 a day to parents during the strike to compensate parents who would be affected by the closures of school, which is being described as a “bribe” by some. I personally do not see this compensation as a sufficient method of repayment for the closures as the inconvenience it causes well exceeds the $60 value. A babysitter would cost a minimum of $98 (minimum wage for an 8-hour shift) and for those parents who cannot find a babysitter, the value of taking a day off work would also exceed $60. Students are also affected by strikes as these movements decrease the quality of education due to the impact they have on the structure of schoolwork. This results in teachers hurrying to teach students the material missed, affecting students directly as they do not properly learn course material.
With the help of the union, teachers in Ontario shape their strikes in a seemingly inclusive manner that benefits the majority of stakeholders. However, it is common to see that these strikes are driven from somewhat selfish factors. As mentioned in the article “Lecce has repeatedly said the key sticking point is compensation, with the union demanding a roughly two per cent wage increase and the government offering one per cent.” (CBC,2020) This demonstrates that the hardest hurdle to overcome, therefore leading to longer strikes, is agreeing on an acceptable level of compensation for teachers. In this instance, many parents will be taking time off work and children will be away from education for potentially long periods of time mainly due to teachers and/or the union being dissatisfied with not receiving an additional one percent increase to their wage.
The contents of this analysis do not apply for all teacher strikes as many are executed effectively and strive toward the greater good. However, it is difficult to not consider the possibility that teachers are able to act on self-beneficial demands due to the power that the union provides them.
References
News,CBC. “Ontario public elementary school teachers set to begin rotating strikes on Monday.” CBC News, 2020, Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/etfo-public-teachers-strike-1.5427368
Jeffords,Shawn.”Parents affected by teachers’ strikes to be compensated.”The Canadian Press, 2020, Retrieved from https://london.ctvnews.ca/parents-affected-by-teachers-strikes-to-be-compensated-1.4768037
Jasmine Schariefy 
Hello Jasmine,
Your blog post is very informative and has become such a large issue which is affecting communities domestically. When i was actually walking to class the other day I saw the teachers striking outside of the high school behind Goodes. I agree with your point which $60 is not enough cash to be given to families in compensation for the striking happening and that government and teachers union need to come to an agreement on this situation instead of throwing small portions of money away. Do you think that the teachers are in the wrong for striking or do you believe they have a valid reason to go through all this effort to be compensated for a 2% increase in their salaries?
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Hi Liam,
Thank you for your comment. I actually happened to see the teachers striking outside by Goodes after class the other day as well. I believe that teachers have a big impact on children’s education as they provide us with a vast range of knowledge and important life skills. Having said this, I believe there are other communally beneficial alternatives for teachers to pursue rather than pursuing personal wage raises that simultaneously pause the education of children.
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Hi Jasmine!
I found your post, and the topic itself, quite interesting as this has becoming a growing issue in recent weeks. You mentioned the $60 compensation per day as being insufficient, and I do agree that this $60 would not be sufficient to cover the costs associated with a child missing a day of school, whether it be in regards to the loss of pay that day for the parent or in regards to the cost associated with finding child care. You go on to mention the somewhat selfish nature behind these strikes as it often jeopardizes the child’s learning while placing parents in a challenging position. While I do agree that it is troublesome to continue to strike as it places these children, and consequently their parents, at a disadvantage, I question where blame for this selfish nature should be placed. Personally, I believe teaching to be a particularly important profession as it fosters a learning environment for students that simultaneously allows them to explore their interests which often times results in the realization of their passions. As such, teachers are fundamental to children, which can often be seen through a students ability to recall at least one teacher who has been influential in their life to some capacity. Due to the importance of this profession, I sometimes question the governments refusal to provide teachers with the pay increases, when reasonable, that are being requested. This becomes even more confusing to me because the government is willing to compensate parents for each day of class being missed as a result of teacher striking, but is not willing to put that money towards increasing the pay of teachers. Do you believe we can attribute this selfish behaviour more to the government or the teachers, and is either party justified in their actions? I am interested to hear your thoughts!
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Hi Harjit,
Thank you for your insightful comment. I find the information you have provided to expand on my points particularly insightful to the crucial role that teachers have. I also agree that the government is not helping the situation and seem to be adding fuel to the fire through their refusal to meet teachers’ demands. In conclusion, I believe that both teachers involved in the strike and the government hold a portion of the responsibility and one of these parties needs to put their stubborn tendencies aside to resolve this dispute, allowing children to receive consistent education.
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