More cancelled classes in Sudbury area this week (updated)

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It will be another week of labour unrest in classrooms in the Sudbury area and across Ontario.

If there is any good news as the provincial governments and its four major teacher unions try to hammer out new contacts, it’s that Catholic teachers were back at the bargaining table Monday. Because of the renewed talks, they have suspended rotating strikes they had planned for this week. Catholic teachers were scheduled to walk out in Espanola and along the North Shore on Monday and in Sudbury on Tuesday.

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However, because of the new negotiations, those strike actions have been cancelled.

At the same time, parents at other school boards in the Sudbury area can expect labour trouble later this week.

On Thursday, the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO), the union that represents teaching staff, short- and long-term supply teachers in all Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon schools, as well as the board learning consultants, will conduct a one-day full strike across Ontario. The districts of Sudbury, Manitoulin and Algoma are among the targeted areas.

“Due to the impact of the strikes on the proper functioning of schools, including the safety and well-being of all students, all Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon schools will be closed to all elementary and secondary students on Thursday,” the board said in a release.

Daycares, as well as before-and-after programs located in schools, will operate normally, and the Centre des petits program will be offered in its schools.

The CSC Nouvelon has schools in Sudbury East (Noëlville, St-Charles and Warren), Greater Sudbury, Espanola, Spanish, Elliot Lake, Blind River, Chapleau, Sault Ste. Marie, Wawa, Dubreuilville and Hornepayne.

Then on Friday, CSC Nouvelon schools in the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts will be closed due to a one-day strike by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF). The OSSTF represents support staff in all Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon’ schools and at the board office.

The Centre des petits program offered within these schools will also be suspended for the day, but daycare services, as well as before-and-after school programs, will operate normally.

The OSSTF strike will also affect Rainbow District School Board’s secondary teachers and support staff who will strike for the day.

As a result, all classes for Grades 9 to 12 will be cancelled for the day in Sudbury, Espanola and Manitoulin Island. This includes Barrydowne College, the N’Swakamok Native Alternative School, O’Connor Park and Restart programs at the Centre for Education, the Attendance Centre and the Adult Day School. This notice also affects all students who attend Mishko-Ode-Wendam at the Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre.

Extra-curricular activities, field trips, school events and Co-operative Education placements for secondary students will also be cancelled. Dual credits will continue at Cambrian College.

At the elementary level, Kindergarten to Grade 8 classes will proceed as scheduled. This includes programs for Grade 7 and 8 students at Chelmsford Valley District Composite School, Confederation Secondary School, Lively District Secondary School and Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School.

Elementary school office staff, however, will be participating in the full withdrawal of services.

“Parents/guardians of students in Kindergarten to Grade 8 are asked to notify their child’s school of any absences,” the board said in a release. “This is very important for the safe arrival program. Please call the school and ensure that you leave a message if your child will be away on that day.”

Controlled access will remain in effect at elementary schools. Parents/guardians visiting the school can expect delays in entering the building. Contact numbers will be posted on the main door for assistance.

Despite the strike, child care in Rainbow Schools will continue as scheduled as well as community use of schools.

Meanwhile, Ontario’s public elementary teachers are threatening more job action in two weeks — and they aren’t ruling out a full strike.

The president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario said Monday that if contract deals aren’t reached by March 6, they will begin a new phase of strikes effective Monday, March 9.

“Minister, you have two weeks,” Sam Hammond said. “The ball is now in your court.”

Hammond did not specify what the next phase of strike action will look like, but when asked if that meant a full strike, he said everything is on the table.

The elementary teachers and education workers have been engaging in rotating strikes, but Hammond said over the next two weeks his members will be focusing on political pressure and mobilizing support from the public.

Starting Wednesday, ETFO teachers will picket outside their schools for at least 20 minutes a day once a week, send letters to their provincial representatives and the minister of education, and encourage people they know who aren’t teachers to do the same.

The teachers are also ramping up their work-to-rule campaign on Wednesday by not covering a class for an absent colleague if a supply teacher cannot be found.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce said he hopes ETFO works with school boards to ensure their new work-to-rule measures don’t risk student safety.

“That is why our government is squarely focused on getting a deal that ends the continuous escalation by teachers’ union leaders, so our kids remain in class,” he said in a statement.

Hammond has said that ETFO and the government were close to agreements on key issues in late January, but the government negotiators changed positions at the last minute. They have had no talks since.

“It’s so very disturbing to see that after weeks of strike action, a provincewide strike by 200,000 educators and as the massive support from parents and voters continues to grow, the Ford government is still not prepared to properly, in a meaningful way, address the concerns ETFO has raised at the bargaining table,” Hammond said.

Elementary teachers say their key issues include guaranteeing the future of full-day kindergarten, securing more funding to hire special education teachers, and maintaining seniority hiring rules. All of the teachers’ unions are also asking for around two per cent in annual salary increases, while the government won’t budge beyond offering a one per cent raise.

The four groups have been staging strikes, including a joint walk-out last week, as contract talks with the government appear to have made little progress.

sud.editorial@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @SudburyStar