Ontario's education minister says he is "very optimistic" about upcoming negotiations with the province's teachers' unions and does not expect labour action to close schools as students head back to class.
Paul Calandra made the comments Thursday, days before existing education contracts expire at the end of August, in remarks reported by Global News.
The negotiations have already hit a snag. The two sides disagree over which issues should be negotiated centrally and which should be handled locally, a dispute that has been referred to the Ontario Labour Relations Board and has effectively stalled bargaining.
Teachers' unions have suggested the government wants to shift more issues into central bargaining, a move they argue could reduce local input on matters such as layoffs and transfers.
Calandra said the turbulence in the talks is not a concern for him.
This is not something new, it's certainly not something that is unexpected. We remain committed to getting a negotiated settlement so teachers have certainty, parents have certainty and students have the best opportunity to succeed
He added, in remarks to reporters reported by Global News, that he wants a negotiated deal that gives everyone involved predictability.
Schools across the province are scheduled to reopen around Labour Day. Calandra said he is hopeful the school year will begin and end without disruption.
The year will start as scheduled and it is my expectation that kids will be in the classroom for a very long time
He also told reporters: "There's no reason why we shouldn't expect the year to be completed and students to be in the classroom the entire time."
The minister acknowledged he has plans to run commercials about bargaining if the dispute escalates, saying he intends to be prepared for every eventuality.
"The unions to this point have been advertising for months, for well over a year… they will outspend the province, but that's their right to do so. And I will use every means at my disposal so students, parents and teachers understand what my position is," Calandra said, according to Global News.
The contract expiry comes at a sensitive moment for families across Ontario, including in the Greater Toronto Area, where hundreds of thousands of students are preparing to return to classrooms in early September.
Labour disputes in Ontario's education sector have previously resulted in rotating strikes and withdrawn services, though the current dispute remains at an early procedural stage, centred on how the bargaining table itself is organized rather than on wages or working conditions.
No timeline has been given for when the Ontario Labour Relations Board might rule on the central-versus-local bargaining question, leaving it unclear when substantive negotiations could resume.
