With a labour dispute on-going across the province, secondary schools across the Lambton-Kent District School Board are set to be closed on Wednesday, December 18.
“The Lambton Kent District School Board (LKDSB) has been notified that members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) will join their colleagues across the province in a legal strike, involving a one-day full withdrawal of services, on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, unless a settlement is reached prior to this date,” John Howitt, Director of Education, said in a letter to parents.
“Student safety is the top priority for the LKDSB. In our schools and across our system, OSSTF represents all secondary school teachers. A full strike would mean secondary teachers would not report to work and the LKDSB will not be able to safely operate our secondary schools.”
Howitt added: “If a settlement is not reached and the one-day, full strike proceeds, secondary schools will be closed to students on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, and will reopen to students on Thursday, December 19, 2019.”
Information will be posted on the LKDSB website, as it becomes available.
“The LKDSB is hopeful a fair agreement can be reached, and the full strike action will be avoided,” Howitt added.
“In anticipation of the potential full strike action, all LKSSAA student athletic activities scheduled for Wednesday, December 18 have been cancelled and will be rescheduled. Schools will communicate information to students and parents/guardians about the rescheduled dates.”
All elementary schools will be open to students on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, Howitt said.
The job action will impact the LKDSB on Wednesday, along with the following schools boards:
– Lakehead District School Board
– Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board
– Thames Valley 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
The one-day strike does not impact schools with the St. Clair Catholic District School Board.
OSSTF officials say pon the same day, OSSTF/FEESO members in other school boards will hold information pickets in front of schools, at MPPs’ offices, and in other locations throughout the entire province.
These actions follow a one-day, province-wide walkout on December 4, and a one-day walkout in select areas in Ontario on December 11. A limited withdrawal of services, which began on November 26, will continue province-wide.
“Since our last bargaining date on Tuesday, December 3, we have seen no change in the Minister of Education’s agenda of increasing class sizes, forcing e-learning on our high school students, and continuing the funding cuts that take valuable support staff and services out of our schools,” stated OSSTF President Harvey Bischof.
“We’re obligated to provide five days of notice in advance of any work action, and that is what we are doing today. We are hopeful that the Minister is ready to get serious about bargaining next week, to come to the table in good faith and reverse his government’s devastating cuts to our students’ education system. That’s what this fight is about, what it has always been about; this government’s cuts to education will affect our students for not just one day, but for generations to come.”
Bischof added: “We hope that the Ford government is ready to negotiate a fair deal. A deal that is good for students, good for education workers, good for teachers, and good for our province. But if not, we’re ready to fight for their future, and we will use every tool available to us to do so.”
Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, issued a statement in response to OSSTF’s announcement of continued job action.
“OSSTF union leadership have made clear that they will continue to take job action—which hurts students most—unless taxpayers accept their demand of $7 billion in enhancements to salaries, benefits, and other entitlements,” Lecce said in a media release.
“If there were any question that this wasn’t about salary, those doubts were put to bed when the four teacher unions launched their challenge to legislation that deals with compensation increases for the public service.”
Lecce said the Provincial Government have made a reasonable offer on compensation.
“A $750 million increase in compensation for the second highest paid educators in the country,” Lecce said.
“We are calling on OSSTF to cease from continued job action, accept our offer of private mediation, stay at the table, and focus on improving learning in the classroom, not enhancing compensation for their members.”
Education unions have also launched a Charter challenge against the province. Read the details, here.
