Accused of bullying and intimidation by their boss, London-area elementary teachers are firing back.
In a letter to the Thames Valley District school board?s 3,200 elementary teachers, education director Bill Tucker says he?s ?troubled? by reports of workplace intimidation and bullying, results of the teachers? fight with the province over contracts.
Tucker also admonishes teachers for ?workplace refusals? that he calls illegal strike activity.
?In an organization that prides itself on safe school and workplace initiatives, bullying behaviour is unacceptable,? Tucker wrote.
His Nov. 8 letter warns teachers if they don?t perform their teaching responsibilities, they can be ?subject to the appropriate consequences: loss of pay and/or potential disciplinary review.?
But the teachers? union is firing back, telling Tucker its members are doing nothing illegal.
?We fundamentally reject your claim that members are acting contrary to the law,? Phillip Mack, who heads the local chapter of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO), wrote.
The teachers are embroiled in a stand-off with the province, with contract talks stalled.
The 76,000-member ETFO is fighting the Liberal government?s Bill 115, which imposed wage-freezing contracts on them and limits strike action.
That?s put the school board, which negotiates the local part of union contracts with ETFO locals, in a tough spot, in part forced to work under and defend government legislation it had no hand in creating.
?Bill 115 has not been helpful. It?s added stress on the board and on the principals. There?s a lot of stress right now,? Mack told The Free Press.
It?s unclear what bullying or intimidating behaviour Tucker was referencing. He was unavailable for comment Wednesday.
Mack said many teachers were offended by the letter, seeing it as an unwarranted reprimand and threat.
?ETFO will support and defend our members to the fullest extent if the board carries out any of the improper threats or pursues any of the avenues suggested in your letter,? Mack?s letter to Tucker says.
In his letter, Tucker compares teachers to students who should stay within the confines of the law.
?When students display inappropriate conduct in class or refuse to comply with teacher directions, we implement consequences that reflect the seriousness of that behaviour,? the Nov. 8 letter says.
?In other words, we do not condone the inappropriate behaviour in our students. The corollary to that is that I cannot condone the inappropriate behaviour or conduct associated with illegal strike activities.?
Elementary teachers across Ontario have stopped doing some after-school activities, like coaching, as the fight with the province continues.
The union argues it?s not strike activity ? just a ?pause? in activites teachers aren?t paid to do.
Teachers are also refusing to attend staff meetings Mondays and Tuesdays.
Suggesting teachers are taking part in illegal activities has heightened stress, Mack said.
?I don?t think there?s been any intimidation . . . We?re within our legal rights,? he said.
Joyce Bennett, the trustee who chairs the Thames board, said Tucker?s letter was necessary.
?We are, as a board, facing challenging times and this was a message that had to be given because (teachers) aren?t in a legal strike position. A message had to be sent,? she said.
Kate.dubinski@sunmedia.ca
Twitter.com/KateatLFPress
Letter from Director Bill Tucker (page 1)
Letter from Director Bill Tucker (page 2)
Letter from ETFO
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