With less than an hour to the midnight deadline set by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF), negotiators report there is no sign of the Ontario government's negotiating team.
At 10:50 p.m. the OSSTF's team posted the following on its official Twitter feed.
#OSSTF bargaining team still in the caucus room, waiting for @Sflecce @fordnation bargaining team to come to the table. We’ve been waiting since 9am, haven’t seen the gov’t team. #onted #onpoli #FairDealNow pic.twitter.com/Bb4v3Ve0DT
— OSSTF Communications (@osstf) December 4, 2019
The full text of a news release from the Ontario Minister of Education also issued this evening follows.
TORONTO — Today, Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, issued the following statement on the status of negotiations with OSSTF (Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation) on the eve of strike action:
"My message to parents, on the eve of potential job action, is that our Government has remained reasonable at the negotiating table, with the objective of keeping students in class.
I am reaffirming my commitment to examining innovative solutions to avoid a strike. I am open to a framework that achieves our goal of reaching a deal that keeps students in the classroom.
It has been over 200 days since we first started bargaining with OSSTF and in that time, they have not made any substantive moves since their first proposal was tabled. Even while the Government made enhanced offers, there is no indication OSSTF intends to make any moves, except to affirm their insistence on a $1.5 billion increase in pay and benefits.
The onus is on OSSTF to be reasonable, stay at the table, and to cancel this needless escalation that is hurting children, parents, and families."
