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It appears as though education assistants and custodial staff for the Halton District School Board (HDSB) will strike as of Friday, November 4th.
The workers are a part of the current Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) labour negotiations.
The HDSB issued a statement earlier this week letting parents and/or guardians know what the plan is moving forward should the workers choose to strike. Here’s the message on the HDSB website:
Dear HDSB families,
We are writing to update you on the current Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) labour situation.
[On Sunday], you were notified of our plan to keep schools open in the event that CUPE were to engage in a full withdrawal of services effective Friday, November 4th. Within the Halton District School Board (HDSB), CUPE represents custodial staff in elementary and secondary schools.
[Monday], the Ontario Ministry of Education introduced legislation that prevents CUPE labour action. As a result, the HDSB’s plan to keep elementary schools open through an alternate schedule of in-person and remote learning is no longer required. HDSB elementary and secondary schools will remain open for in-person learning each day.
Please be aware this remains a fluid and changing situation. The HDSB continues to monitor developments daily and decisions will be made accordingly.
We will continue to provide you with accurate and timely information as we are able through SchoolMessenger, the HDSB website and the Board’s social media pages (Twitter/Facebook/Instagram).
Thank you for your support and understanding.
The Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) has said previously that schools will close should the workers choose to strike. You can follow along with their messages here.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has taken a sharp stance against any potential strikes, looking to pass a bill that make such an act by CUPE illegal. You can read the report from CHCH here. He issued a statement via Twitter on Wednesday night to share his views on the situation.
I spoke with Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau and made clear that shutting down classrooms would have an unacceptable impact on students. I reiterated that Ontario is determined, if necessary, to pass legislation to keep classrooms open and ensure stability for parents and students.
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) November 3, 2022
We both agreed on the need to continue working together to build more homes faster and discussed advancing Ontario’s critical mineral strategy, including building the road to the Ring of Fire by reducing redundancy between federal and provincial processes.
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) November 3, 2022
It appears as though Prime Minister Justin Trudeau countered his views, and issued a statement of his own on Twitter:
I spoke with Premier @FordNation today. I emphasized the importance of standing up for Canadians’ rights and freedoms, including workers’ rights – and I reiterated that the preemptive use of the notwithstanding clause is wrong and inappropriate.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 3, 2022
