Waterloo region teachers to strike again Wednesday
The strike scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 18
The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) announced Friday that it will hold another one-day strike in Waterloo Region and other provincial school boards on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
The strike would affect both elementary and secondary schools in the Waterloo Region District School Board, said Lynsey Slupeiks, WRDSB communications officer. The OSSTF represents secondary school teachers and education workers in public elementary and secondary schools.
In addition to elementary and secondary schools closing, the WRDSB said the one-day strike action will affect the following programs:
- Before and after school childcare programs, extended day childcare programs, Early ON Centres and third-party operated childcare centres will close.
- Extracurricular activities will be cancelled.
- All evening rental permits will be cancelled.
In addition to secondary school teachers, the WRDSB said a number of its education workers are also represented by the OSSTF, such as school secretaries, custodial staff, educational support staff and supervision monitors and cafeteria assistants.
Although the WCDSB has also been named as part of the job action, the board said in a tweet Saturday that its schools will remain open.
Just a reminder - despite the OSSTF announcement naming WCDSB as a target for job action, all of our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WCDSBAwesome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WCDSBAwesome</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WCDSBNewswire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WCDSBNewswire</a> schools will be up and running as usual next Wednesday. <a href="https://twitter.com/WR_Record?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WR_Record</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/570NEWS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@570NEWS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCKW891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBCKW891</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CTVNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CTVNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GlobalKitchener?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GlobalKitchener</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/woolwichnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@woolwichnews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAyrNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAyrNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/TKTaasajju">https://t.co/TKTaasajju</a>
—@WCDSBNewswireSeveral French schools will be affected as well including:
- École élémentaire catholique Cardinal-Léger in Kitchener.
- École élémentaire catholique Mère-Élisabeth-Bruyère in Waterloo.
- École secondaire catholique Père-René-de-Galinée and École élémentaire catholique Saint-Noël-Chabanel in Cambridge.
- École élémentaire catholique Saint-René-Goupil in Guelph.
The union says OSSTF members will return to work on Thursday, December 19.
Chera Longston, communications manager for the Avon Maitland District School Board, said Friday that schools in the AMDSB would not be affected by the scheduled strike.
Schools in the Upper Grand District School Board will not be affected by the strike.
OSSTF has announced that on Dec. 18 its members will take part in a 1-day strike in some Ontario school boards. Parents, please note that the UGDSB is not on the list of school boards involved in the Dec. 18 strike. Please continue to check <a href="https://t.co/ceAg1AdTw7">https://t.co/ceAg1AdTw7</a> for updates. <a href="https://t.co/og4gTDfF8g">pic.twitter.com/og4gTDfF8g</a>
—@ugdsbSecond 1-day strike in December
Teachers also took to the picket line for a one-day strike on Dec. 4.
The recent strike action by OSSTF members is the first time they've walked off the job since 1997.
Teachers have been without a contract since it expired at the end of August. Negotiations between the union and the Province have since stalled.
The main issues for the union are the government's plans to increase class sizes and the introduction of mandatory e-learning courses. According to the government, the prime issue is compensation.
The union says these school boards will be affected next week:
- Thames Valley District School Board.
- Lakehead District School Board.
- Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board.
- Lambton Kent District School Board.
- Waterloo Region District School Board.
- Waterloo Catholic District School Board.
- York Region District School Board.
- York Catholic District School Board.
- Halton District School Board.
- Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board.
Several French school boards around the province are also affected.