TORONTO -- There were no signs Monday of a quick resumption of contract talks between the Ontario government, public school boards and the union representing elementary teachers.

Premier Kathleen Wynne angered the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario when she insisted it was up to the union to say why it won't accept an offer that was tentatively accepted by two other teachers' unions.

Agreements reached in August with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association have not been ratified, but contain raises of 1.5 per cent plus another one-per-cent bonus.

"I think the onus is on the leadership of ETFO to explain why the substance of that agreement that has been the core of the agreement with OSSTF and OECTA is not good enough for their membership," said Wynne.

"My prime concern is that kids, teachers and support staff be in school, because I know that's where they want to be."

Talks with the Elementary Teachers' Federation broke off again on Friday, despite what union president Sam Hammond described as "slow, slow progress" during seven days at the table.

Wynne wants to impose a deal on the elementary teachers, the same way former premier Dalton McGuinty imposed a settlement with a wage freeze in 2012, said Hammond.

"Ms. Wynne might want a quick deal to help Mr. Trudeau's chances in the federal election, but we actually want a deal that works for teachers and students," he said.

It's "not acceptable" for the premier to go to the media to pressure the union into accepting contract details she made public, added Hammond.

"We are waiting for the government to pick up the phone and return to the table as soon as possible," he said. "Let's stay out of the media and get back to the table and bargain."

Hammond warned that the work-to-rule campaign elementary teachers started when classes began last week, which means no parent-teacher meetings and no class trips, would expand further if there's no deal in the next few days.

"We are preparing to escalate our strike action if there is no change on the part of the government and the (Ontario Public School Boards Association) in the next few days," he said. "We hope the Wynne government and boards will come to their senses."

The government did remove some contentious issues from the bargaining table, said Hammond, but there are specific issues to elementary teachers that he wants addressed during negotiations.

"I want to stress that the issues we have been focusing on are related to working conditions and student learning conditions, not salary," he said. "ETFO wants to continue bargaining, but we need to know that the government will not keep trying to impose deals that don't address the unique needs of elementary teachers and elementary students."

Education Minister Liz Sandals said she "did not want to speculate" on what the next steps would be in efforts to reach a deal with the elementary teachers.

"It really is going to be up to Sam Hammond and ETFO to explain why when we have a framework for agreement with other unions they would reject what everyone else has accepted," she said. "I don't have a sense that the teachers of the province want to be on strike."

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the Liberals are to blame for what she called "chaos in the education system" created by the government's failure to reach new deals with teachers after previous contracts expired over a year ago.