Ontario elementary teachers without a deal after first week of school

The Ontario government, public school boards and elementary teachers have failed to strike a deal after seven days of bargaining.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) accuses the government and school boards of refusing to continue discussion.

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"We're shocked at this development," union president Sam Hammond said in a news release.

The government and the Ontario Public School Boards Association (OPSBA)said they tabled a "comprehensive proposal" to the union that lines up with the agreement recently signed by English public high school teachers.

"We are hopeful that they will consider this settlement seriously and [we] remain hopeful that a settlement can be reached," according to a government news release.

Hammond said the union, which represents 78,000 elementary public school teachers, occasional teachers and education professionals across the province, asked for more days of bargaining, but the government refused.

"ETFO will be consulting with our local presidentson Mondayto discuss next steps, given that the government and OPSBA have walked away from central bargaining," he said in the release.

Work-to-rule expanded on Tuesday

The school year began on Tuesday and elementary teachers have said they won't plan fundraising activities or field trips or attend open houses after school hours in the next step of a work-to-rule campaign that began in the spring.

The previous school year ended with the possibility of all major teachers' unions being on some form of strike this fall, but agreements were recently forged with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation and the Ontario's English Catholic Teachers Association.

Tensions also remain over a new sex-education curriculum being implemented this year, with some parents saying the lessons will force children to make sexual decisions before they are capable.

Some parents have threatened to pull their kids from school over the curriculum, but Education Minister Liz Sandals has staunchly defended the program, saying it gives kids information that can help keep them safe and healthy.