Premier Doug Ford is criticizing the heads of Ontario's major teachers' unions, saying the groups have ``bad leadership.''
Ford made the comments at Queen's Park today as all four unions are engaged in various job actions, including rotating strikes and work-to-rule campaigns.
The premier says his government will not give into the unions' demands for increased compensation, and a one per cent pay raise cap is important to help eliminate the provincial deficit.
Ford says rotating teachers' strikes are having an impact on the economy because parents are missing days of work to care for their children.
He says there is still a way to reach agreements with the teachers' unions to avoid a full strike that would close schools.
Union leaders have said government increases to class size and the introduction of mandatory e-learning courses will hurt students, and they are fighting to reverse those changes at the bargaining table.