Seven specific areas that require immediate attention when it comes to school openings

BY PAUL JUNOR

As schools gradually reopen across Ontario, the four teachers’ unions: OECTA, AEFO, OSSTF/FESSO and ETFO are awaiting response from the Ontario Labour Relations Board after each filed a legal challenge to the province reopening plan.

The unions have been strategic in their approach to dealing with the Ontario government, which released its back-to-school plan on July 30th, 2020. They have serious concerns about the viability of the plan, and sent a letter on Thursday, August 13th, 2020 to the Minister of Education, and the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton requesting a meeting. Minister Monte McNaughton responded that she was able to meet along with the Minister of Labour’s Chief Prevention Officer. There was no response from Education Minister Stephen Leece.

On Monday, August 24th, 2020, there was a meeting with the presidents, general secretaries, as well as the legal counsel of the teachers unions, Minister Monte McNaughton, and the Chief Prevention Officer. The unions shared in a communication to their members, that they had requested various orders for minimum health and safety standards, related to class size and physical distancing; meaningful courting requirements for teachers, education workers and students, ventilation standards, bussing standards, and flexibility for school boards to reopen when health and safety standards have been met.

On Monday, August 31stt, 2020, the four teachers’ unions decided to individually file an appeal with the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) due to the fact that they were not satisfied with the Ministry of Labour’s lack of response to their concerns.

In a communication to its members on Wednesday, September 9th, 2020, the OSSTF/FESSO identified the following specific areas that require immediate attention:

1.We expressed strong concern that for the second time in a few weeks, we were not invited to a technical briefing on funding
2.We raised concerns that we were not consulted on the “Guide to Reopening Ontario’s Schools”
3.We raised the concern that the Ministry did not share the B12 Memo on air quality when it was distributed to school boards
4.We raised concerns about the school board reopening plans that are being rejected by the Ministry
5.We raised concerns over access to personal protective equipment (PPE)- timelines of delivery, quality, usability, and access. In particular, we gave specific examples of:

• hand sanitizer not appropriate for repeated use with children and pregnant women or not on approved list of hand sanitizers
  no soap found in staff washrooms
  PPE not yet received by school boards
  masks labelled in a different language without English translation

6. We raised serious concerns about some boards where mandatory wearing of masks by students will not be enforced and appear optional
7. We raised concerns about member’s morale. We emphasized that workload is a real issue with the ever-increasing demands on members and that people are justifiably worried

The OSSTF/FESSO further notes that,

“Boards are blaming the government, and the government is putting responsibility on boards. We provided feedback on the contradictions in direction within and across boards. We emphasized the lack of coordination. We also emphasized that the lack of meaningful consultation with unions is hampering reopening plans and hurting member morale. They indicated that we were raising valid and serious concerns, and that they would take our concerns back to the decision makers.”

The OLRB case management meeting is scheduled to take over on Wednesday, September 9th, 2020 in order to decide the basis for next steps moving forward. There is much hope for a positive outcome.