THUNDER BAY – A line has been drawn in the educational sand.
Elementary teachers working for the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board on Thursday said they are encouraged Friday’s scheduled bargaining session.
But, if not end to the contract impasse is reached by weekend’s end, union leadership say on Monday they will hold a second day of rotating strikes, this time picketing St. Bernard, St. Paul and St. Francis schools.
“We are pleased that the Labour Board mediator has scheduled a meeting,” said Aldo Grillo, president of the Thunder Bay Unit of the Ontario Elementary Catholic District School Board.
“We had sent the board a proposal on all outstanding items even before the rotating strike and the board lockout occurred. We are ready to meet and if we get a tentative settlement there will not be any rotating strikes on Monday.”
On two occasions the board’s director of education, Pino Tassone, has said if another round of rotating strikes were called, the board would have no choice but to lock out all of its elementary teachers and close the affected schools.
The board last week locked out teachers at three senior elementary schools following a one-day strike at Pope John Paul II, Bishop E.Q. Jennings and Bishop Gallagher schools.
“We are hopeful that the talks on Friday will result in a tentative agreement and this matter can be put to rest,” says Grillo.
Teachers have been in a legal strike position since last June and have implemented work-to-rule conditions since last fall.
