Area educators to take part in one-day withdrawal of services next week

The following information was distributed today by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation regarding an upcoming full withdrawal of services by selected boards.

On Wednesday, Jan. 8, teachers and education workers represented by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) in certain school boards will take part in another one-day, full withdrawal of services in selected locations across Ontario, including:
    •    Algoma District School Board
    •    Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board

Those members employed by the Conseil scolaire de district du Grand Nord de l’Ontario at the following worksites will be engaged in the full withdrawal of services:
    •    École publique Écho-des-Rapides (Sault Ste-Marie)
    •    École publique l’Escalade (Wawa)
    •    École publique d’Elliot Lake (Elliot Lake)
    •    École secondaire Villa Française des Jeunes (Elliot Lake)
    •    École secondaire d’Orée des Bois (Dubreuilville)
    •    École publique Franco-Manitou (Manitouwadge)

Those members employed by the Conseil scolaire de district catholique du Nouvel-Ontario at the following worksites will be engaged in the full withdrawal of services:
    •    École Saint-Joseph Blind River
    •    École Sacré-Cœur (Chapleau)
    •    École St-Joseph (Dubreuilville)
    •    École Georges Vanier (Elliot Lake)
    •    École Saint Nom de Jésus (Hornepayne)
    •    École Notre-Dame-du-Sault (Sault Ste-Marie)
    •    École Sainte-Anne (Spanish)
    •    École Saint-Joseph (Wawa)
    •    École secondaire catholique Jeunesse-Nord (Blind River)
    •    École secondaire catholique Trillium (Chapleau)
    •    École secondaire Notre-Dame-du-Sault (Sault Ste-Marie)
    •    École secondaire Saint-Joseph (Wawa)

On 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.

A limited withdrawal of services, which began on Nov. 26, 2019, will continue province-wide.

“After more than eight months of negotiations, the Minister of Education is still committed to the Doug Ford agenda of larger class sizes, mandatory e-learning, and the ongoing erosion of crucial supports and services our most vulnerable students rely on for an equitable chance to succeed,” said OSSTF/FEESO President Harvey Bischof.

“Our job action next Wednesday will affect some school boards for one day, but the Ford government’s policies, if we are not able to reverse them, will continue to create chaos in the education system for years to come. Ontario students deserve better, and that is exactly what we’re fighting for,” Bischof said.

“As a new year begins, we hope the Ford government and the Minister of Education will finally be prepared to do the right thing and negotiate a deal that is good for students, good for teachers and education workers, and good for the future economy of Ontario,” concluded Bischof.