Education Minister Laurel Broten is threatening action after high school teachers and/or support workers began job action in 20 school districts, including Toronto District School Board, on Monday in protest of Bill 115.

In a statement, Broten said her department is monitoring the situation “very closely” with an eye on student safety.

“Under the Putting Students First Act, we have the tools to act and will fully explore those options as strike action begins,” Broten said in the statement. “We need all of our partners in education to work with us to find solutions that put the success and safety of our students first.”

Broten said the job action is disappointing because it puts students and families in the middle of the labour dispute.

Teachers and support staff in the affected school boards will continue to show up for work, but they are taking selective "strike" action that will affect administrative duties, their union said.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation postponed the sanctions for five days to try to work out a deal with the province, but the union announced early Monday morning those talks ended without an agreement, so job action would proceed.

In a news release, the union said it offered to continue negotiations and is open to further discussions.

As part of their job action, teachers are being asked not to fill in for absent colleagues, take part in provincial standardized tests or talk to parents after hours, meaning parent-teacher interviews may have to take place during school hours.

There are also concerns comments on students’ report cards may be limited.

Selective job action is the latest tactic in three unions' ongoing labour dispute with Ontario’s Liberal government over Bill 115.

OSSTF president Ken Coran previously said the job action will affect high school teachers' administrative duties, not school curriculum.

Bill 115 has frozen the wages of public school teachers and support staff, and stripped them their collective bargaining rights, effectively barring them from striking or being locked out for two years. The unions have launched a legal challenge, arguing the law is unconstitutional and violates their collective bargaining rights.

OSSTF members are participating in job action in the following school boards:

  • Toronto District School Board (teachers)
  • Halton District School Board (office/clerical/technical, professional student services personnel, teaches and occasions teachers)
  • Durham District School Board (teachers and occasional teachers)
  • Bluewater District School Board (teachers and occasional teachers)
  • Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board (early childhood educators, educational support staff, maintenance and cleaners)
  • Greater Essex County District School Board (educational support staff, professional student services personnel, teachers and occasional teachers)
  • Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board (teachers and occasional teachers)
  • Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board (teachers and occasional teachers)
  • Lakehead District School Board (early childhood educators, educational assistants, teachers and occasional teachers)
  • Limestone District School Board (teachers, occasional teachers and professional student services personnel)
  • Niagara District School Board (teachers and occasional teachers)
  • Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (early childhood educators, educational assistants, office/clerical/technical, plant support staff, teachers, occasional teachers and professional student services personnel)
  • Renfrew District School Board (early childhood educators, office managers, teachers and occasional teachers)
  • Superior Greenstone District School Board (educational support staff, teachers and occasional teachers)
  • Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board (educational assistants and professional student services personnel)
  • Trillium Lakelands District School Board (professional student services personnel, teachers and occasional teachers)
  • Upper Canada District School Board (professional student services personnel, teachers and occasional teachers)
  • Upper Grand District School Board (educational assistants, early childhood educators, office/clerical/technical, professional student services personnel, teachers and occasional teachers)
  • Waterloo Region District School Board (educational support staff, professional student services personnel, supervision monitors/cafeteria assistants, teachers and occasional teachers)
  • Wellington Catholic District School Board (early childhood educators, educational support staff, office/clerical/technical, professional student services personnel)

OSSTF represents 60,000 school employees across the province.

With files from The Canadian Press

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