Labour board may find teachers' strike illegal

An Ontario Labour Relations Board hearing begins today that will determine whether a strike by Rainbow District School Board high school teachers is legal.

The hearing could wrap up in a day, according to national media reports. If successful, the application could force teachers back to the classroom by the end of the week.

Earlier this week, the Rainbow District School Board — along with two other school boards where high school teachers are on strike — asked the labour relations board to declare the strike by Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation members “unlawful.”

The collective bargaining framework for the education sector, set out in the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act, 2014, features a two-tier bargaining process with a central table and local tables.

In accordance with the legislation, local strikes must be about local issues, said a press release from the Rainbow board.

“One of the misconceptions is that the board is attempting to increase class sizes, limit prep time and freeze salaries and benefits at the local table,” said Dewar, in the press release.

“Those issues are not part of the local negotiation process. They are central (table) issues. We have absolutely no influence over central items at our local table.”

OSSTF members in Greater Sudbury have been on strike since April 27.