lang: en
Summary
In September 2012, Ontario public school teachers and their unions launched a campaign to repeal Bill 115, the “Putting Students First Act,” which imposed a two-year salary freeze, reduced sick days, and banned strikes. Through a combination of work-to-rule actions, one-day strikes, student walkouts, and public protests, the campaign pressured the Ontario Parliament to repeal the bill in January 2013. The teachers ultimately secured improved contract terms, including a future salary increase, by June 2013.
Background
In March 2012, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced a two-year salary freeze for public school teachers to reduce the government’s $14.8 billion deficit. On 11 September 2012, the Ontario Parliament passed Bill 115, the “Putting Students First Act,” which locked teachers into frozen wages, cut sick days, and prohibited strikes. The teachers’ unions demanded the repeal of the bill, arguing it violated their rights and unfairly targeted educators.
What happened
Immediately after Bill 115 passed on 11 September 2012, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario threatened to refuse voluntary extracurricular activities, and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation asked members to withdraw from such activities [source: nv-database]. On 12 September, Hamilton high school teachers wore black to protest the bill [source: nv-database]. On 21 September, the Guelph District Labour Council held a march and rally of about 350 people, with speeches and chants like “repeal 1,1,5” [source: nv-database]. On 2 October, 100 Grade 7 and 8 students from Calvin Park Public School rallied, with student organizer Ginny Weese expressing concern about compromised educational opportunities [source: nv-database]. In November, school boards such as the Thames Valley District School Board lobbied for repeal [source: nv-database]. On 11 December, hundreds of students from at least nine high schools staged walkouts, and the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario announced rotating one-day strikes [source: nv-database]. Elementary teachers in Niagara struck on 12 December, and by 17 December roughly 104 schools were closed due to strikes [source: nv-database]. The unions planned province-wide strikes for 11 and 16 January 2013, but the Ontario Labour Relations Board ruled them illegal and they were canceled [source: nv-database]. The Ontario Parliament repealed Bill 115 on 23 January 2013, after all teachers had been locked into the new contracts [source: nv-database]. The secondary school teachers ended their boycott of extracurricular activities on 1 March 2013 [source: nv-database]. On 19 April, the government improved maternity-leave benefits and sick-day payouts, and on 23 June 2013, a Memorandum of Understanding gave teachers a 2% salary increase starting September 2014 [source: nv-database].
Key people & organizations
- Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario
- Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation
- Fred Hahn
- Ginny Weese
- Dalton McGuinty
Tactics used
- boycotts-and-strikes
- nonviolent-direct-action
- civil-resistance
- coalition-building
- framing-and-narrative
- methods-of-nonviolent-action
The campaign combined symbolic protests (wearing black, rallies) with escalating economic pressure (withdrawal of extracurriculars, rotating strikes) and coalition-building with students and labour unions, which together forced the government to negotiate and eventually repeal the bill. [source: nv-database]
Outcome
Verdict: won.
The teachers achieved their primary goal of repealing Bill 115 and secured improved contract terms, including a future salary increase, earning a success score of 9 out of 10 points in the database. The campaign succeeded because sustained nonviolent action, including strikes and student walkouts, created enough disruption and public pressure to compel the Ontario Parliament to act. [source: nv-database]
Lessons
- Coordinated withdrawal of voluntary services (extracurriculars) can disrupt normal operations without a full strike, maintaining public sympathy.
- Involving students and other unions broadens the campaign’s base and increases pressure on decision-makers.
- Rotating one-day strikes can maintain momentum while reducing the risk of legal crackdowns compared to indefinite strikes.
Sources
- Global Nonviolent Action Database —
[[nv-database]]
Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.
Sources & verification
nv-database— grounding: primary — license: link-only- Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via
worker_casestudies_v2.py