An estimated 1,200 teachers and other educational staff marched in downtown Owen Sound in a giant showing of solidarity as they continue their fight with the province.

The walkout was one of two in Grey-Bruce held on Friday, along with another held at Walkerton District Community School, and included members from all four of the province’s major teachers unions. Educational support professionals and other school staff also circled three downtown city blocks with their education colleagues, as they protested proposed education cuts that the unions say will erode the province’s education system.

It was a scene that played out across the province, as an estimated 200,000 educators walked off the job, which closed schools and gave millions of students the day off. A large rally with an estimated 30,000 people was held at Queen’s Park in Toronto. It is the first time since 1997, during the days of the Mike Harris government, that members from all the major teachers unions have walked off the job together.

The unions participating in Friday’s walkout included the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF), the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) and the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO), which represents the province’s French-language Catholic teachers.

In Owen Sound, the protesters circled three city blocks in the area of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker’s office, many carrying signs with slogans such as “Fair Deal or No Deal,” “On Strike for Public Education” and “Standing Together for Better Schools.” The Owen Sound Farmers’ Market served as a staging area, where music played and participants were able to gather for refreshments or warm up. Hundreds of participants gathered in front of city for a group picture, which was followed by a group picture of those who were around the last time the unions walked out together in 1997.

Julie Stanley, ETFO Bluewater Teacher Local president, said it was inspirational having all of the unions together protesting the government’s proposed cuts.

“We know the cuts this government is making to education are going to be devastating for the next 20 years, so that is why we are here today,” Stanley said following the photo op at city hall. “It is inspirational just having everyone together and to know we are united in our fight against this government and we hope they will come back to the table and negotiate fair deals that will have positive impacts in our classrooms.”

While the four unions, which have been without contracts since the end of August, have had walkouts in recent months, Friday’s demonstration was the first time they have all been off the job together. They have all raised similar concerns about the proposals being put forward by the province.

The unions have said they are fighting the province’s plans to increase class sizes and introduce mandatory e-learning programs, as well as for the preservation of full-day kindergarten and cuts that will affect special needs students. The province has said the job action is about wages, saying that it can only afford an annual increase of one per cent, insisting the unions want an increase closer to two per cent.

Stanley said none of those participating in the walkouts want to be on the picket lines, but they feel it is something they have to do to hopefully get the provincial government’s attention.

“We did work-to-rule for two months before we actually went out on full withdrawal of services, so we were giving the government the opportunity to come to the table and negotiate with us,” she said. “Sometimes this is the only action we have to take. Spirits are pretty high on the picket line and it helps to know all four affiliates are standing up for the same cause.”

Stanley said she is hopeful the walkouts have the impact the unions want, which is to get the government back to the negotiating table and get deals done.

“This government is not a typical government and it is hard to predict what they will do,” she said. “It is positive that OECTA and AEFO have had talks, but ETFO we have no planned dates and we haven’t met since the end of January, and OSSTF hasn’t met since December 16. It is time for them to get back to the table and it is time for our local MPPs to talk to their leader and tell him it is time to get back to the table and negotiate a fair deal.”

Sebastien St-Amant, a teacher at Ecole catholique Saint-Dominique-Savio in Owen Sound and a local rep with the AEFO, said the numbers at Friday’s demonstration showed how strong they are as a group.

“It is really important to show that we are fighting not only for us, but mostly for our students and for the future of education,” said St-Amant. “We would rather be where it matters in the classroom with our students.”

St-Amant said he is hopeful the walkouts are having an impact.

“We hope the government is ready to listen to what we have to say, especially for what we are fighting for.”

Rene Jansen in de Wal, second vice president with the provincial executive of OECTA, said that despite the fact that both sides appear to be dug in with their positions, he is optimistic agreements can be reached.

“There is absolutely a path forward and I think as an experienced bargainer there was a path forward as early as October, but it has to be done at the bargaining table,” Jansen in de Wal said. “If the government would spend more time and focus on fair bargaining and turn their focus to the process, I have every confidence we can get a deal done.”

It wasn’t just teachers that were walking the picket lines on Friday. Hundreds of office professionals and technicians, and educational support staff such as early childhood educators and educational assistants represented by OSSTF were also marching.

Penny Huettlin, president of the office professionals and technicians with OSSTF Bluewater District 7, said the impact on support staff is often forgotten about, but the proposals such as larger class sizes and e-learning courses done outside the classroom, will also impact them because less students in the schools means less support staff.

She said her members are already overworked and underpaid and it will only get worse under the changes being talked about.

“A lot of my members they come in early, they leave late, they don’t take lunches, they don’t take breaks because they can’t stay on top of their workload,” she said. “They take work home to be able to stay on top of what is required and that is all driven by the provincial government.”

Betty-Jo Raddin, president of the OSSTF Bluewater District 7 teachers bargaining unit, said Friday’s action proves that the government’s proposals are not good for education because all four of the unions are together in their opposition to the cuts.

She said they chose the location, in the vicinity of MPP Walker’s office, because while he was in opposition lobbied against the Liberal government of the day for a moratorium on all school closures and for changes to the education funding formula, But Raddin said the cuts being proposed by Doug Ford’s Conservative government would further erode education in rural areas like Grey-Bruce. On Friday the union put out a number of tweets with the hashtag “WheresWalker,” highlighting his past criticisms of the Liberals.

“He fought for rural schools and he fought to keep them open, but now that he is in power he is not fighting to staff those schools,” said Raddin. “In Bluewater we have 29.33 fewer secondary teachers this year than we had last year, and 20 of those positions is directly because of the cuts the government has made when they increase class size from 22 to 25.

“To show the magnitude of what 29.33 looks like, we have fewer than 29.33 secondary teachers in Walkerton. It is like they cut an entire school of teachers from the system.”

As for where things go next, Raddin said that in the case of OSSTF, it will be up to the union’s provincial office to decide.

OECTA announced late Friday that it would be suspending its rotating strikes for next week after a provincial mediator called the province and the union back to the table on Monday.

In a statement, the union said “it is clear that our efforts are being effective in forcing the government to work with our Association towards a fair agreement.”

Stanley said ETFO expects to make an announcement on Monday as to what action that union plans to take next.

“We will wait until then to see where we go from here,” she said.