Parents picking up kids after school on Tuesday aren't really sure what the plan is for next week.
Talks between the union representing all 73,000 public elementary school teachers in Ontario and the province aren't working out – strike action is set for Monday.
“We've been bargaining for eight months now, at a central table and those negotiations are, in my opinion, going nowhere,” says Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario president Sam Hammond.
While the president of the teacher's union isn't saying what "strike action" means, CTV News has obtained a copy of a letter sent out to union members, which states teachers will "work to rule."
In this case, that means no report card comments, no EQAO testing, and teachers won’t attend staff meetings. What remains unclear is whether working to rule will have an effect on school trips or extracurricular activities such as school sports.
Some parents aren't taking any chances with what could happen.
“We're getting emails, phone calls; basically asking if we'll be providing any programs if there is a strike,” says Karen Eilerson of Discovery Child Care Centre.
Discovery Child Care Centre in Barrie is opening up 30 spots for students.
Meanwhile, Ontario's education minister says a planned administrative strike by the province's elementary school teachers is motivated by a "general desire to have a strike" rather than any one issue.
Liz Sandals says she's heard from government negotiators at contract talks that the labour unrest isn't about one issue in particular.
She says the union's conditions to hold off a strike were "pretty unrealistic."
The union says the job action is in response to government demands to remove class-size language from collective agreements and to direct teachers on how to spend their class preparation time.
At this time, talks have broken down between the two sides and there aren't any plans for the union and the province to get back to the bargaining table.
With files from The Canadian Press.
