TORONTO

Arguing parents deserve “certainty” in the school system, Premier Dalton McGuinty told the province’s public elementary and high school teachers that the time for negotiated settlements has passed.

Education Minister Laurel Broten has scheduled a media conference for Thursday morning to announce whether she’ll use the powers of Bill 115 to impose contracts on teachers and ban strikes.

In an open letter to the province’s teachers, McGuinty said he had expected to find common ground in negotiations but their federations walked away from the table.

“Today, Ontario teachers are among the highest paid in North America and have better working conditions. And you are worth every single penny,” McGuinty said, noting test scores and graduation rates are up.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) — who see Bill 115 as an attack on their constitutional right to collective bargaining — did not reach agreements with local school boards by the legislation’s deadline of midnight New Year’s Eve.

Members of both unions have voted to walk out in a day of protest if the McGuinty government uses the tools in Bill 115.

ETFO has already conducted province-wide one day strikes, while OSSTF has eliminated voluntary extracurriculars.

Bill 115 would impose the Ontario English Catholic Teacher’s Federation (OECTA) collective agreement on ETFO and OSSTF.

The deal mandates a two-year pay freeze, a partially frozen salary grid, three unpaid PD days and the end of a retirement gratuity which allows teachers to cash out unused sick days.

McGuinty said in his message to teachers that the economic challenges facing the province — including a plan to balance the books by 2017-18 — require belt tightening in the education sector.

Broten sent her own letter to school boards asking them to share the premier’s missive with teachers.

“Over the coming days and weeks, teachers and support staff, as well as all those in the education sector, will be hearing a great deal about the government’s next steps and what those steps mean for them. We feel it is very important that teachers and support staff hear all perspectives so they are fully informed about the government’s actions,” Broten said.

ETFO President Sam Hammond was not available for comment Wednesday but is expected to speak to the media after Broten’s announcement.

CUPE Ontario, which represents 55,000 school support workers including maintenance staff and early childhood educators, reached a tentative agreement on Dec. 30.