WINDSOR — The union representing public high school teachers in Windsor-Essex have announced a one-day strike for next week.
The 1500 members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation District 9, which also represents support staff in the elementary schools, will be off the job on Thursday, February 13th to back contract demands.
Public elementary school teachers are already taking part in strikes on Tuesday, February 11th and Wednesday, February 12th.
There is also a scheduled professional development day for Friday, February 14th.
Bottom line, if a new contract is not reached, public elementary schools in Windsor-Essex will be closed Tuesday, February 11th to Friday, February 14th.
OSSTF District 9 President Erin Roy says her members are doing well.
"The other affiliates have joined in," says Roy. "I also saw that AEFO is going to have their first provincial strike day that day so I think that helps our members to see that all the other education affiliate unions are also getting involved in this fight because it's that important."
Roy adds there might be a special guest joining her members on the picket lines on Thursday.
"I think provincial president Harvey Bischof is going to try and make his way down so we'll certainly let the media know where he'll be," says Roy. "We just want to continue educate the public on what this fight's about and we're just here to try to protect the future of public education in this province."
Meanwhile, teachers at Ontario's French-language schools are the latest to start going on strike.
The union says it is launching weekly, province-wide strikes because bargaining talks with the province have gone nowhere so far.
The first day of job action for French-language schools will be Thursday, February 13th.
All four of Ontario's teacher unions are now walking off the job as a way to ramp up pressure on the government.
No new contract talks are scheduled with the province.