It wasn’t a typical school day for teachers. Normally, teachers head to school, go to their classroom, prepare lessons and teach students. Instead, students had the day off, while teachers marched in front of schools in protest of the Ontario Government making education cuts.
Outside of Saunders Secondary School teachers started picket lines, held signs up in the air and walked along Viscount Road. President of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF), District 11, John Bernans was at Saunders Secondary. “Today all OSSTF members, teachers, education workers from Thames Valley are on a one day strike to send a message to the Government about the cuts to education and that they need to roll them back.”
High School teachers begin the one day strike just outside Saunders Secondary School, while drivers honk in support. #ldnont pic.twitter.com/zXWwIihwvO
— XFM News (@XFMNews) December 4, 2019
Bernans hopes they can go back to the bargaining table as soon as possible. “They seemed to have targeted education if they come to the table prepared, and get us back to the education system that’s renowned worldwide internationally, then we’ll have something to talk about.”
Bernans says the teachers just want to get past this, so they can talk about other contract talks.
Other schools and areas that saw pickets include:
- London Central Secondary School
- Montcalm Secondary School
- The Office of MPP Jeff Yurek in St. Thomas
