Ontario elementary teachers in three school boards are to strike today, a day after their union and the government held contract talks that are to continue.
The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario has been staging one-day, rotating strikes since last week, and the union is targeting boards in Durham, Lambton Kent and Algoma on Thursday.
The union says if a deal isn't reached by Friday, they plan to hold provincewide strikes once a week _ with the first one set for Feb. 6 _ and each board will be hit by a one-day rotating strike as well.
The federation sat down with the government Wednesday for the first time since Dec. 19 after a government-appointed mediator called the two sides back to the table.
Union president Sam Hammond has said he hopes the government negotiators have a mandate to remove further cuts, increase supports for students with special needs, address violence in classrooms, preserve the current kindergarten model and maintain fair and transparent hiring practices.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the government has been reasonable in amending its proposals and he hopes the union will do the same.