Re: News from Canada

Tane Akamatsu or Terry Watada (tanea who-is-at ibm.net)
Mon, 03 Nov 1997 11:18:19 -0500

Connie Mayer wrote:
>
> I have read with interest the postings by Ken Goodman re: Bill HR2614
> (hope I got that right?). Here in Ontario we are into the third day of a
> province wide political protest (an illegal strike according to the
> government). This is a massive protest involving 126,000 teachers and 2.1
> million elementary and secondary students. Every school in the province
> has been effectively closed.
>
> This action has been taken by the teachers in response to Bill 160 which
> gives complete and absolute control of all aspects of education to the
> Minister of Education and a small number of his cohorts - there would be
> no debate, no democratic process and no need to pass legislation. It is
> difficult to summarize this massive bill (236 pages) in a few sentences
> but suffice it to say that our current government sees education as a
> business which is charged with turning out a "high end" product (as
> measured on standardized tests) at the the lowest possible costs. Those
> of us in the teaching professions here in Ontario, with the support of
> many of our parents and students, are attempting to stop the passage of
> this frightening bill. This will not be easily accomplished. The
> government is seeking injunctions from the courts to "compel" us to
> return to the classroom and is threatening to fine individual teachers
> $1000 per day.
>
> Thought members of this list might be interested.
>
> Connie Mayer
> Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto
> cmayer who-is-at oise.utoronto.ca

News update:

The government had applied for an injunction to force the teachers back
to school, but the judge just ruled against an injunction. The
government's argument was that irreparable damage was being done to the
2.1 million students who are out of school. However, the government
applied for the injunction after barely five days, and the judge decided
that irreparable damage has not been done yet. Moreover, the government
attempted to "jump the queue" in that what should have happened was that
the employers of the teachers -- the school boards -- should have first
gone to the Labour Relations Board to get them to order the teachers
back to work. However, it is well known that the school boards also
disagree with the government, so they are in no rush to support any
government initiative. Therefore the government should have been
pressuring the School Boards to apply to the LRB rather than going
straight to court.

So how do things stand? The teachers now hold all the cards.
Negotations will continue, the walkout will continue .. at least for the
next few days.

The government is set for third and final reading of Bill 160 sometime
later this month. It could still pass, with or without amendments. The
next few days will be interesting.

Tane Akamatsu