By Stew Kernan

Ontario high school teachers and the province return to the bargaining table this week as school boards try to end strikes here in the Sudbury area as well as in Durham and Peel Regions.

The central talks between the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation and the province have been stalled for weeks, but they will resume Wednesday tomorrow with a new mediator.

The three boards have asked the Ontario Labour Relations Board to declare the strikes illegal, arguing they are really over central issues such as class sizes and not matters being handled at the local tables.

Today was Day 3 of that hearing, while the Minister of Education has also asked a separate arm of the labour board to consider whether the students’ school years are in jeopardy.

Meantime…the head of the board hearing the case stepped down today because he is also the chair of the Education Relations Commission — which has been asked for advice from the province on whether the strikes are putting the school year in jeopardy for 70-thousand students.