Students may soon have access to after-school sports and programs once again.

The union representing Ontario high school teachers voted Friday to suspend all political action related to extracurricular activities.

The decision clears the way for teachers and support staff from across the province to resume voluntary activities if they choose to.

In January, the OSSTF had urged their 60,000 members to withdraw from extracurricular activities to protest the government’s decision to impose a contract upon them under the terms of Bill 115.

“We expect that this sign of good will from our members will prompt the government to have genuine discussions that can lead to a fair resolution to this current impasse,” OSSTF President Ken Coran said in a press release Friday afternoon. “We still maintain that voluntary activities are just that: voluntary. We encourage members to review recent information and decide if they are willing to return to participating in the activities we know they feel so passionately about.”

Premier Kathleen Wynne has previously said that she will not “tear up” the two-year contracts imposed upon 126,000 public school teachers and support staff, but Wynne has expressed a desire to rebuild the fractured relationship with teachers and earlier this month met with officials from the OSSTF and the Elementary Teacher’s Federation of Ontario to discuss a way forward.

On Friday she credited those discussions with helping to pave the way towards settling the labour unrest in Ontario schools.

“When you have had a situation where a relationship has been fractured you need to reestablish a way forward. That’s what happened,” she said. “We sat down with the leadership and said ‘let’s talk about the things that are bothering you’ and there has been enough agreement on what needs to be resolved that the leadership can suggest that teachers and support staff resume their activities.”

Speaking with reporters, Wynne said that her discussions with OSSTF have not revolved around any concessions that would cost the province additional money, but have instead been geared towards creating a new process to negotiate collective agreements.

Under Bill 115, union locals were given until Jan. 1 to negotiate collective agreements that would freeze pay and eliminate the banking of sick days.

While some unions were able to negotiate agreements others were unable to and had a contract imposed upon them by former Education Minister Laurel Broten.

“The issues that are on the table are not issues that require new money,” Wynne said Friday. “It is about how we can create a new collective bargaining process moving forward because obviously this one didn’t work.”

While Wynne applauded the potential for the return of extracurriculars, Progressive Conservative Education Critic Lisa MacLeod described it as only a “partial win” in an interview with CP24.

“We are not all the way there and it is a little early for Kathleen Wynne to pat herself on the back and congratulate herself,” she said. “This could happen again and that’s why the Ontario PC party will be putting forward a motion next week to make sure that union leaders can’t fine or intimidate or sanction their members if they want to continue (participating in extracurricular activities) and secondly we want to make sure that we can empower principals and school communities to find committed volunteers who are able to allow extracurriculars to continue. We can’t ever go through another year like we just had.”

Education advocate credits change in leadership

Wynne took over as Liberal leader in January and immediately reached out to the OSSTF, the ETFO and school boards from across the province.

Speaking with CP24 Friday afternoon People for Education Executive Director Annie Kidder credited a change in leadership with helping to bring forth a partial resolution to the labour unrest in Ontario schools.

“I think everybody was hoping that a change in personalities and a new set of eyes would help and the minute there was a new premier they were right back at the table, so I’m not surprised,” she said. “I think this has been the hope that people have had for the last few months, that this would be the thing that would break the logjam.”

The Liberal government repealed Bill 115 immediately after using it to impose contracts upon teachers without one.

Kidder admitted that some teachers may continue withholding participation in extracurricular activities as a show of protest, but said she hopes the majority put the past behind them and move forward.

“There is still a sense of real anger and real hurt, but I really, really hope that everybody can try to overcome the mistakes that were made and keep going,” she said. “Getting stuck in a corner and digging in heels right now isn’t going to do anyone any good.”

The Elementary Teacher’s Federation of Ontario has also urged its members to withdraw from extracurricular activities in the past.

It is not known if the ETFO will change their stance in light of the decision from the OSSTF.

In a statement the Toronto District School Board said it “looks forward to learning more in the days ahead.”

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