Guelph, Wellington County public elementary schools to close Tuesday for teachers' strike

Public elementary schools in Guelph and Wellington County will be closed Tuesday if a planned strike by teachers and educational workers represented by the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario goes ahead.

The union announced the strike action on Thursday. The ETFO is one of four teachers' unions currently negotiating new contracts with the province.

The Waterloo Region District School Board is expected to be impacted by a strike on Monday and the board has said schools will be closed if the strike goes ahead.

The Upper Grand District School Board says all elementary schools will be closed, but high schools will remain open and exams will go ahead. Buses will run as they usually would for high school students.

"Parents/guardians of elementary students are strongly encouraged to begin making alternate arrangements for your children prior to the one-day strike," the school board said in a release on Thursday.

The Upper Grand District School Board also has a previously planned PD Day on Friday, Jan. 31.

Next week will mark the second week of rotating strikes by the ETFO. 

The union is also striking in Kawartha Pine Ridge, Hastings-Prince Edward as well as Moosonee and Moose Factory Island school authorities on Tuesday.

Escalating job action by ETFO workers also means elementary students will not receive report cards for the first term, the school boards have said.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) has said it will not strike during the exam period for high school students.