THUNDER BAY -- Thunder Bay Catholic District Board elementary teachers have given union officials a near unanimous strike mandate.
Members of the elementary unit of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association voted 98.9 per cent in favour of walking off the job should an agreement not be reached with the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board.
A central agreement with the province was concluded last September between the OECTA, the province and the Ontario Catholic School Teachers’ Association. But each bargaining unit must also reach a independent deal with individual school boards at the local level.
To date that has not happened in Thunder Bay.
Aldo Grillo, president of the local OECTA bargaining unit, said the vote was meant to send a message to the board that teachers don’t want negotiations to drag on.
“The strike mandate obviously was an overwhelming indication that our membership is not pleased and we are looking for this to get settled quickly,” Grillo said.
He added about 75 per cent of Catholic school teachers in the province have signed new deals, putting the Thunder Bay teachers in the minority.
“It just needs to get done,” Grillo said, adding each board is different, so it’s not a matter of signing a one-size-fits-all contract.
Grillo said while it’s disappointing a deal hasn’t been reached, teachers will continue in their present duties going forward.
“There are no plans for any job actions at the moment. We are sitting down to meet with the board for a couple of days next week and hoping that talks move forward on a positive note.”
The director of education for the Catholic board said he remains optimistic a deal can get done.
"The board remains committed to a respectful and fair outcome during our current bargaining process," said Pino Tassone in a release.
"In fact, we're looking forward to some very meaningful and productive discussions duing our scheduled meetings on May 2 and 3."
