Elementary teachers threaten to step up job action Monday

Ontario's public elementary school teachers were preparing Saturday to ramp up their job action on Monday, if they don't get a new deal done with the province.

The plan was outlined in a bulletin sent by the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario to its 70,000 members on Friday.

Under it, teachers would not provide comments on report cards, update classroom websites or blogs, complete or distribute class newsletters, participate in in-school meetings or professional learning activities on the next PA day, fill in for an absent teacher, or take on other duties during prep time.

The bulletin also identifies something called Wynne Wednesdays, during which teachers will focus only on teaching and supervision in their own classrooms and are encouraged to wear ETFO t-shirts, caps or buttons or "a solidarity colour."

A further phase of the job action could see teachers "commence rotating one day strikes if sufficient progress has not occurred at the central bargaining table," according to the bulletin.

Some parents say the move planned for Mondaywill be hard on students.

"They're not thinking about the kids," said mother Eloisa Turla. "They're teachers who are supposed to be thinking about the welfare of the kids rather than thinking about themselves."

The teachers federation had threatened to ramp up job action after contract talks broke down earlier this week.

Premier Kathleen Wynne says it's up to the union to explain why it won't accept an offer that's similar to those reached with two other teachers' unions this past week.

Education Minister Liz Sandals called the ETFO's move "disappointing."

The escalating job action and "the withdrawal of services will further disrupt students' learning in the classroom," Sandals said Friday in a statement, adding that the proposal presented to the ETFO is similar to the deals reached with Ontario's high school, elementary and French-language teachers.