Coaches feel pressure

by Mandy Matthews

Despite the Ontario government recently repealing Bill 115, teachers have been keeping the pressure on coaches to withhold extracurricular activities from students.

The bill, which came into effect Dec. 31, limits the teachers’ ability to collective bargaining and going on strike. However, public elementary school teachers continued to hold one-day strikes across the province. The bill was removed Jan. 23 in hopes of negotiating terms with new Liberal leader, Kathleen Wynne.

Still, coaches are holding out on sports to remain trustworthy toward their unions and as a result, the students are suffering.

Grade 12 student Ryan Sleiman, of Kingsville District High School, may not have the chance to prove himself to universities who are seeking an athlete worthy of a scholarship. For this reason, Dave Scarrow, a coach from Vincent Massey Secondary School will continue the Windsor Legion track and field club program to help students further their athletic career.

“It is a tough personal decision. We have to stick with our union and support them. If we do not fight this battle, it could get worse for the teachers, “said Scarrow.

MaryGrace Masotti, a public elementary school teacher, said she has no part in the bill because the government did not allow bargaining and teachers are not abiding by work-to-rule policies anymore.

“Every teacher has the right to do extracurricular activities if they so desire. However, teachers feel at this point in time that we are not gaining the respect from many people in society,” said Masotti.

She said people who have not read the bill in its entirety do not understand it is not just the teachers fighting.

“The public seems to forget that teachers are parents too and this is affecting their own children as well,” Masotti said.