Ahead of provincial election, teachers sound alarm over state of education

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation is raising the alarm about the state of education in the province ahead of the spring election.

President Karen Littlewood was in Sudbury this week, part of a cross-province tour endorsing some political candidates.

Littlewood said cuts to education compounded by two years of COVID0-19 is going to make the next election critical.

She said job No. 1 of whoever is elected will be addressing education in the province.

"For us at OSSTF and the school board sector, our collective agreements are expiring on Aug. 31, so we're going to be right back into bargaining," Littlewood said.

"The way that's going to look for the future of Ontario will depend on what party is in power."

She said the timing of the election is "quite incredible," because the first day the union can serve notice to bargain is June 2 – election day.

"So the stars and the planets have aligned, and we're asking our members to get out and do what they can to see change and have education supported provincially," Littlewood added.

In the Sudbury area, the union endorsed the NDP candidates Jamie West in Sudbury and France Gélinas in Nickel Belt. They're also backing the Green Party Leader in Guelph and some Liberals in Ottawa and the Greater Toronto Area.