Two school boards in Northwestern Ontario are preparing for the potential of online learning as education support groups have again filed a five-day strike notice.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 55,000 workers in the education sector across the province, on Wednesday announced it had filed a strike notice. It comes less than two weeks after a walkout, which came in protest of the province invoking the notwithstanding clause to prohibit their ability to strike.
Both the Rainy River District School Board and the Northwest Catholic District School Board informed families to prepare for school closures, and a transition to online learning, if the job action goes ahead.
"This means that our custodial and maintenance staff, as well as business staff, secretaries, and Designated Early Childhood Educators at the Rainy River District School Board may be on strike beginning Monday, November 21, 2022,” the board said in a post on their website.
“As the safety of our students is a top priority, if a negotiated agreement is not reached prior to Monday and these key staff members are not at work, we will close most of our schools and move students to online learning."
While most Rainy River District School Board schools would be affected, there are a few that will remain open to in-person learning. Those include Nestor Falls School, McCrosson-Tovell School, Mine Centre School, Ge Da Gi Binez Centre program, and United Native Friendship Centre Alternative Secondary School Program will remain open for in-person learning..
The Northwest Catholic District School Board said their CUPE-represented staff members include education assistants, early childhood educators, custodial and maintenance staff, school administrative assistants, child and youth workers, and information services. Those staff members are needed to keep the schools open to in-person learning, the board added.
"CUPE staff provide critical support to students and help to ensure our schools and systems operate safely. Without student support and supervision and safe, clean buildings, TNCDSB must close schools to school-aged children for in-person learning,” board director of education Jackie Robinson said in a statement.
“We understand that closing schools are difficult for families, students, and our staff. We pray for a quick resolution to the labour issues between CUPE and the Province. At this time, we must make this difficult decision as we cannot ensure the safety of our students and staff without our CUPE employees present at work.”
The union and province returned to the bargaining table last week, with the Ford government repealing Bill 28, the previous legislation that would have imposed a new four-year contract on the union and declared any strike action illegal. The negotiations again reached an impasse, prompting the union to again file the five-day strike notice.
Laura Walton, the president of CUPE's Ontario Council of School Board Unions, said in a press conference that the province had offered raises of $1 per hour for each year of the contract, which amount to an increase of 3.59 per cent.
“Let me be clear. That’s a win for workers, but it’s not enough. It’s not nearly what we deserve for the care and effort and incredible passion we put into our jobs. And it’s certainly not enough for the decade of having the governments hands in our packets through legislative interference in our collective bargaining process,” Walton said.
The union has said it is still looking for higher staffing levels for educational assistants, librarians, custodians and maintenance workers, information technologists, secretaries and early childhood educators.
