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Labour Updates

March 5, 2024



The Ontario Ministry of Education announced this morning that it has reached a tentative labour agreement with the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA).


OECTA represents 45,000 teachers with English-language Catholic school boards, including about 1,300 with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board.


“We’re very pleased that this agreement was reached without a disruption to classroom learning,” said WECDSB Director of Education Emelda Byrne. “I’m sure this news will be greeted with a great sense of relief from our staff, our students and their families.”


Terms of the contract will remain confidential until the OECTA Executive Committee and local union presidents have recommended approval and members ratify it. A vote is tentatively set for March 26 and 27.


The agreement also requires ratification by the WECDSB’s Board of Trustees.


Oct. 19, 2023


The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) represents teachers in English Catholic schools across the province, including approximately 1,300 teachers with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board.


On Oct. 18-19, OECTA held a strike vote for all its members, with 97 percent of them voting in favour of withdrawing their services if a tentative agreement with the provincial government cannot be reached.


It is important to note that strike votes are a normal part of the bargaining process, and do not not necessarily mean that there will be a strike.


OECTA continues to bargain with the province and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (the organization representing school boards), and we remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached that will satisfy everyone involved in these negotiations.


We will continue to keep parents informed about ongoing labour negotiations involving our Catholic teachers.


Nov. 20, 2022

A tentative deal has been reached between the Ontario government and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

This means that a strike has been averted and our schools will be open for in-person learning as usual for all students on Monday Nov. 21. All CUPE represented employees, including Educational Assistants (EA’s), Early Childhood Educators (ECE’s), Child and Youth Workers and other paraprofessionals will be expected to report for work as usual.

We appreciate your continued patience and understanding throughout this situation.

Nov. 17, 2022


Yesterday the provincial leadership of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) provided notice to the Ontario government that they intend to go on strike (full withdrawal of services) beginning Monday, November 21 if a collective agreement cannot be reached by then.

 

Friday, November 18 is a PA Day, and strike action would commence on Monday, November 21.

 

CUPE represents about 500 employees of the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board including Educational Assistants (EAs), Designated Early Childhood Educators (DECEs), Child and Youth Workers (CYWs) and other paraprofessionals such as Psychologists, Sign Language Interpreters and Psychotherapists.

 

Our intention is to keep schools open for as many students as possible, so in order to continue in-person learning, and in the interest of health and safety for staff and students, we have developed contingency plans to do that. 

 

In the event of a strike, all non-CUPE staff will be expected to report to work as usual.

 

Any students who are not in JK/SK programs, do not have complex learning needs, and have not been contacted by their school will be expected to attend school in person according to their regular schedule. Here is how we intend to continue operating regarding all those students who will be directly impacted in the event of a strike.

 

Students with complex learning needs:

 

Principals will be contacting families of students with complex learning needs to discuss alternative program arrangements as a result of the withdrawal of CUPE support services, specifically Educational Assistants, in the interest of health and safety. School teams will work with families to provide appropriate learning materials according to each student’s Individual Education Plan that could be used at home.

 

Full Day Kindergarten programs (JK/SK):

 

In order to address the withdrawal of CUPE services which includes our Designated Early Childhood Educators in our full day kindergarten classrooms, the Board has developed an alternating day schedule for student attendance. Details of this schedule will be communicated directly to parents/guardians by their respective schools. On the days that JK/SK students are not scheduled to attend school, parents/guardians will need to make appropriate alternative arrangements for their children.

 

Childcare:

 

Childcare centers that currently operate in our schools will remain open. 

 

In the meantime, we will continue to hope and pray that negotiations between the Ontario government, the leaders of various trustees’ associations and the provincial leaders of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) will result in a satisfactory agreement for all and that a strike can be averted.

 

We will continue to provide updates as they become available.


Nov. 16, 2022

Earlier today the provincial leadership of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) provided notice to the Ontario government that they intend to go on strike beginning Nov. 21 if a collective agreement cannot be reached by then.

 

In addition to the 55,000 other members from around the province, CUPE represents about 400 employees of the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board including Educational Assistants (EAs), Designated Early Childhood Educators (DECEs), Child and Youth Workers (CYWs) and other paraprofessionals such as Psychologists, Sign Language Interpreters and Psychotherapists.

 

The WECDSB is still in the process of finalizing its contingency plans so that learning may continue. Senior administrators from the board will meet with school administrators on Thursday morning to convey those plans so that they will be prepared in the event of a strike.

 

After that, we will communicate our contingency plans to parents and other key stakeholders so that they can make necessary arrangements.

 

In the meantime, we will continue to hope and pray that negotiations between the Ontario government, the leaders of various trustees’ associations and the provincial leaders of the Canadian Union of Public Employees will result in a satisfactory agreement for all and that a strike can be averted.


Nov. 7, 2022

As a result of the Ontario government’s commitment to repeal Bill 28, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has announced that it will conclude its protest against the legislation.

This means that our schools will re-open for in-person learning beginning Tuesday, November 8.

We expect that all students and staff will return to school Tuesday morning and follow their regular schedules. Transportation will be provided as usual.

We hope that CUPE and the government will return to the bargaining table as soon as possible and arrive at a contract that satisfies all those involved.

In the meantime, we look forward to welcoming our staff and students back to in-person learning on Tuesday morning.

Nov. 4, 2022

Due to the anticipated protest by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) continuing into the week of November 7, our schools will remain closed for in-person learning until further notice.

This is a decision that is consistent with many other school boards throughout Ontario whose Educational Assistants, Early Childhood Educators and other para-professionals will not be reporting for work next week. The decision was not made lightly, but out of an abundance of concern for health and safety, and for our principled belief in being equitable for all our students.

During the next week, here’s what parents and students can expect:

  • On Monday November 7 and Tuesday November 8, students will continue to learn asynchronously. This means that teachers will post school work in all subject areas to their Google Classrooms and students will be able to complete their assignments independently at home to the best of their ability. These will be considered transition days, allowing for staff preparation time, and for school administration to ensure that students/families have the necessary technology that they may require. 
  • Beginning Wednesday November 9, instruction will begin synchronously, which means that teachers will be leading their lessons via their classroom cameras. All schools will follow their regular schedules.

Those students/families who require devices in order to participate in online instruction should call their school offices to arrange for a time to pick them up on Monday or Tuesday.

Please be considerate of the fact that some households do not have technology, and that our school board has a finite supply of devices. If parents and students have their own devices they should use those so that students who require board-supplied technology will be able to access their online classrooms.

If students need to retrieve other items such as textbooks they left at school in order to facilitate learning from home they should call the school to make arrangements to pick them up.

In order to help facilitate online learning, parents may want to visit our Continuity of Learning page where they can find a variety of resources.

Parents can also expect that all child care centers that operate in our schools will remain open, unless they are notified otherwise by individual operators.

Students who require mental health support should reach out to available community agencies and/or family doctors for support. A list of resources can be found on our website here.

Extracurricular sports practices may continue as scheduled. WECSSAA scheduled competition is dependent on venue availability in consultation with WECSSAA and coterminous school boards. 

Should the situation change and we are able to open schools for in-person learning we will communicate that information to all parents and students in a timely manner.

We will continue to provide updates as they become available.


Nov. 3, 2022

Negotiations between the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the provincial government concluded today without arriving at a tentative contract.


As a result, CUPE will be protesting tomorrow and we will proceed with our plans to close schools for in-person learning on Friday, November 4.

Nov. 2, 2022

All WECDSB schools will be closed for in-person learning on Friday November 4, 2022 due to the planned political protest by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).  This closure to in-person  is in accordance with provisions in the Education Act and in the interest of the health and safety of our students and staff. 

CUPE represents about 400 employees of the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board including Educational Assistants (EAs), Designated Early Childhood Educators (DECEs), Child and Youth Workers (CYWs) and other paraprofessionals such as Psychologists, Sign Language Interpreters and Psychotherapists.

CUPE membership with our school board is different from the Greater Essex County District School Board, where ECEs, EAs, and CYWs are not included in their bargaining unit.

Although schools will be closed for in-person learning, all other non-CUPE staff will be expected to report to work on Friday, November 4.

Parents/students can expect that teachers will post school work to their Google Classroom so students can work from home on Friday.

Parents can also expect that all child care centers that operate in our schools will remain open, unless they are notified otherwise by individual operators.

CUPE has indicated this will be a one-day protest, however should it continue into next week, we will communicate with parents about next steps.

Should the situation change before Friday and we are able to open schools for in-person learning we will try to communicate that information with all parents and students in a timely manner.

We will continue to provide updates as they become available.


Oct. 31, 2022

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has provided the provincial government with notice that they intend to withdraw their services and go on strike beginning November 4 if a tentative contract cannot be reached.

CUPE represents about 400 employees of the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board including Educational Assistants, Designated Early Childhood Educators, Child and Youth Workers and other paraprofessionals such as Psychologists, Sign Language Interpreters and Psychotherapists.

Today the Ontario government introduced legislation which, if passed, would ensure that students remain in class by imposing their final offer on the various sides involved.

At this time, the government and CUPE are still scheduled to continue bargaining on November 1-3. We remain hopeful that a settlement can be reached prior to the deadline and that a strike or legislation imposing a contract can be averted.

In the event that CUPE goes on strike on Friday we will communicate directly with students and parents about our contingency plans in advance.

We will continue to provide updates as they become available.


Oct. 21, 2022

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents about 400 employees of the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School board including Educational Assistants, Designated Early Childhood Educators, Child and Youth Workers and other paraprofessionals such as  Psychologists, Sign Language Interpreters and Psychotherapists, will be in a legal strike position as of Nov. 3, 2022.

It is important for staff, students and their parents to know this does not necessarily mean there will be a strike, however we want to reassure them we are preparing contingency plans in the event of a work stoppage.

It’s also important for them to know these employees are part of a broader group of about  55,000 school board support staff from across Ontario, whose union is currently negotiating with the provincial government and the umbrella organization which represents the various trustees' associations.
Representation in CUPE varies with some other school boards around Windsor-Essex as well as the rest of the province, where union members may include custodians, maintenance workers, administrative support and other employees. In the WECDSB, CUPE membership is limited to the people mentioned in the first paragraph and some additional special services employees.   Each board will need to determine how best to respond to a potential work stoppage.

We are preparing contingency plans to mitigate interruptions as much as possible by focusing on how to maintain learning for our students should there be some sort of work stoppage. Staff and parents should expect, however, that there will be some disruptions to regular routines in the event of job action, but we will do our absolute best to minimize them.

We understand that talks will resume on Nov. 1 and pray for a positive resolution. We will continue to monitor the situation and will keep staff and our school communities informed about this situation as it evolves.



March 12, 2020

 

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association has reached a tentative agreement with the provincial government and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association.

Details of the tentative agreement will be shared following ratification.

As a result of the tentative agreement, all OECTA job action has been suspended.

Feb. 28, 2020

As a result of the planned job action by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, all WECDSB schools will be closed to students on Thursday, March 5, 2020.

Parents and guardians of children in any of the day care services that operate in WECDSB schools should check with their individual operators to determine whether those facilities will remain open on March 5.

The Teacher Centre located at the Catholic Education Centre will be closed on March 5.

All SWAC/Adult SWAC, dual credit classes, Secondary Cooperative Education placements and Continuing Education night school classes are cancelled on March 5.

All sports academies, including those offered at community facilities and hockey rinks are also cancelled on March 5.

We understand and respect that OECTA is in a legal strike position, and we appreciate that this job action may cause an inconvenience for students and their families.

We would ask that our students and their families remain patient as the provincial collective bargaining process unfolds and we hope that a resolution that satisfies the needs of all parties can be found soon.


Sincerely,

Terry Lyons
Director of Education

 

Feb. 26, 2020

As a result of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) announcement that it would suspend its rotating strikes this week, all WECDSB schools will be open to students on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020.

WECDSB schools were expected to be closed this Friday as a result of those strikes, however both sides were called back to the negotiating table on Monday. Although those talks concluded without a tentative agreement, we remain hopeful that a deal will be reached.

We would ask for continued patience as the collective bargaining process unfolds and we hope that a resolution that satisfies the needs of all parties can be found soon.

Sincerely,

Terry Lyons
Director of Education

 

Feb. 18, 2020

As a result of the planned job action by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), all WECDSB schools will be closed to students on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020 unless an agreement between OECTA and the provincial government can be reached.

As previously announced all schools will also be closed to students on Friday, Feb. 21 due to a planned job action by OECTA.

Parents and guardians of children in any of the day care services that operate in WECDSB schools should check with their individual operators to determine whether those facilities will remain open on Feb. 21 and on Feb. 28.

We are encouraged by the fact that a mediator has recalled all parties back to the provincial negotiating table. We would ask for continued patience as the collective bargaining process unfolds and we hope that a resolution that satisfies the needs of all parties can be found soon.

Sincerely,

Terry Lyons
Director of Education

 

Feb. 12, 2020

As a result of the planned job action by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, all WECDSB schools will be closed to students on Friday, Feb. 21, 2020.

Parents and guardians of children in any of the day care services that operate in WECDSB schools should check with their individual operators to determine whether those facilities will remain open on Feb. 21.

The WE Day event planned for Feb. 21 at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts has been rescheduled for Feb. 20.

The Teacher Centre located at the Catholic Education Centre will be closed on Feb. 21.

All SWAC/Adult SWAC , Secondary Cooperative Education placements and Continuing Education night school classes are cancelled on Feb. 21.

All sports academies, including those offered at community facilities and hockey rinks are also cancelled on Feb. 21.

We understand and respect that OECTA is in a legal strike position, and we appreciate that this job action may cause an inconvenience for students and their families.

We would ask that our students and their families remain patient as the provincial collective bargaining process unfolds and we hope that a resolution that satisfies the needs of all parties can be found soon.


Sincerely,

Terry Lyons
Director of Education

 

Feb. 6, 2020

We have been informed by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association that as of Feb. 11, 2020 they will be enhancing their administrative job action.

We have been informed by OECTA that extracurricular activities and our Kindergarten Registration Open House events scheduled for Feb. 19 should not be affected by this job action.

According to an OECTA news release, the enhanced administrative job action means that during the regular school day, OECTA members will only undertake their scheduled teaching and supervision duties. They will not accept additional tasks or assignments. Parent-teacher interviews will go ahead if they have been scheduled.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding how this action may affect your child please contact you school principal.

Sincerely,

Terry Lyons
Director of Education


Jan. 28, 2020


As a result of the planned job action by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, all WECDSB schools will be closed to students on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020.

Parents and guardians of children in any of the day care services that operate in WECDSB schools should check with their individual operators to determine whether those facilities will remain open on Feb. 4.

The Teacher Centre located at the Catholic Education Centre will be closed on Feb. 4.

All SWAC/Adult SWAC , Secondary Cooperative Education placements and Continuing Education night school classes are cancelled on Feb. 4.

All sports academies, including those offered at community facilities and hockey rinks are also cancelled on Feb. 4.

We understand and respect that OECTA is in a legal strike position, and we appreciate that this job action may cause an inconvenience for students and their families.

We would ask that our students and their families remain patient as the provincial collective bargaining process unfolds and we hope that a resolution that satisfies the needs of all parties can be found soon.


Sincerely,

Terry Lyons
Director of Education

 

Jan. 14, 2020

As a result of the planned job action by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, all WECDSB schools will be closed to students on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020.

Parents and guardians of children in any of the day care services that operate in WECDSB schools should check with their individual operators to determine whether those facilities will remain open on Jan. 21.

The Teacher Centre located at the Catholic Education centre will be closed on Jan. 21.

All SWAC/Adult SWAC , Secondary Cooperative Education placements and Continuing Education night school classes are cancelled on Jan. 21.

 

We understand and respect that OECTA is in a legal strike position, and we appreciate that this job action may cause an inconvenience for students and their families.

We would ask that our students and their families remain patient as the provincial collective bargaining process unfolds and we hope that a resolution that satisfies the needs of all parties can be found soon.

Sincerely,

Terry Lyons
Director of Education


Jan. 9, 2020

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) has indicated it will begin a job action on Monday, Jan. 13 unless a tentative contract agreement is reached with the provincial government.

Our schools will remain open and regular instruction will continue, however if this action proceeds it will have an effect on some operations: 

  • Grade 9 students scheduled to write their EQAO math assessments beginning Jan. 17 will not write those tests if the job action proceeds. We will inform parents as soon as we know if those assessments have been cancelled. 
  • OECTA members will only input marks on report cards, but will not be inputting comments; kindergarten teachers will only input one sentence per frame, and secondary teachers will not prepare progress reports. 
  • Teachers will report to their workplaces on PD days, but will only engage in self-directed professional development on those days; the elementary PD on Jan. 17 and the secondary PD day on Jan. 30 remain scheduled.

Negotiations between OECTA and the provincial government were scheduled for Jan. 9 and 10. We remain hopeful that a tentative agreement that satisfies the needs of both parties can be reached.

The WECDSB is committed to keeping all of our key stakeholders informed and will provide information about how school operations may be affected by any job action here as it becomes available. Please stay tuned to our web site and social media platforms for additional updates.

Sincerely,

Terry Lyons
Director of Education

Dec. 3, 2019

WECDSB schools are not affected by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation one-day job action and will remain open on Wednesday Dec. 4, 2019. All staff and students are expected to report to school as regularly scheduled.

WECDSB teachers are represented by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), which is also currently negotiating a new collective agreement with the provincial government. OECTA has filed for conciliation, but will not be in a legal strike position before the Christmas break.

The WECDSB is committed to keeping all of our key stakeholders informed and will provide information about how school operations may be affected by any job action here as it becomes available. Please stay tuned to our web site and social media platforms for additional updates.

Sincerely,

Terry Lyons
Director of Education


Oct. 6, 2019


The Canadian Union of Public Employees and the provincial government were able to reach a new tentative contract agreement after weekend negotiations, which means a CUPE strike has been averted.

All staff and students are expected to report to school on Monday, October 7 as regularly scheduled.

Sincerely

Terry Lyons
Director of Education


Oct. 3, 2019

Yesterday the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) provided notice that they will escalate their work-to-rule campaign to a full withdrawal of services on Monday, October 7, 2019 if a negotiated settlement with the provincial government cannot be reached by that date.

The WECDSB employs more than 400 CUPE support staff including Educational Assistants, Designated Early Childhood Educators, Child and Youth Workers, Psychotherapists and other para-professionals.

We have decided to close all of our elementary and secondary schools beginning Monday, October 7 should the members of CUPE follow through with their previously stated intention.  This would mean that students in those schools will not be able to attend. However, St. Michael’s Adult Campus on Detroit Street in Windsor will remain open.

The health and safety of all of our students and staff remains the Board’s primary concern and was the predominant factor that was considered in making this decision.

We would strongly suggest that parents and guardians begin looking at alternative arrangements for child care. Parents who have children enrolled in privately operated daycare services and before-and-after programs in our schools should consult with the providers of those programs to determine whether they will remain open should a strike occur.

This is a dispute between CUPE and the Province of Ontario and it is our sincere hope that both parties can return to the central negotiating table. While we are not directly involved in the process, we will monitor the situation closely and hope that a resolution can be reached without CUPE members having to withdraw their services.

As soon as we know for certain if schools will be closed on Monday, we will post information to the Board’s web site (wecdsb.on.ca) and to our Twitter account (twitter.com/WECDSB). We will also send a voice message to all parents throughout the system and inform local media outlets.

We remain hopeful for a speedy resolution to this impasse.

Sincerely,

Terry Lyons
Director of Education


Oct. 2, 2019

It has come to our attention that CUPE has given notice that they intend to fully withdraw services beginning Monday Oct. 7 if a contract agreement with the provincial government cannot be reached.

Parents, students and other community partners need to know that this is an issue between CUPE and the Province of Ontario. Bargaining is happening centrally between the two parties involved in the dispute.

Parents should also know that the safety of their children is our primary concern. We will be monitoring the bargaining situation closely and will communicate our intentions regarding a contingency plan for our schools as soon as we have a clearer sense of whether the union will indeed move to full-scale job action.

At this time, it is very important to allow the process to continue. We remain hopeful that the two sides will return to the bargaining table and that a resolution can be reached.

We will continue to provide information to our school communities as it becomes available.

Sincerely,


Terry Lyons
Director of Education


Sept. 27, 2019

The purpose of this letter is to provide our families with an important update on labour relations.

About 55,000 Ontario school board support staff represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) will be in a legal strike position on Monday, September 30th including about 400 support workers at the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board.

In our Board, CUPE represents support staff such as educational assistants, designated early childhood educators, sign language interpreters, speech language pathologists, attendance counsellor, psychological associates, psychologist, child and youth workers, psychotherapists, educational intervenors and educational audiologist.

Our understanding is that the first phase of job action beginning Monday, September 30th will be “work-to-rule” actions. CUPE staff during this time may not be completing additional duties beyond their normal responsibilities or hours of work.

All WECDSB schools will remain open, and learning will be happening in our classrooms. We are working diligently to minimize any impact on our students and school communities. However, employees represented by CUPE provide many important services within our schools and board, and despite our best efforts, the withdrawal of these services will cause some disruption.

Student and staff safety is always our top priority and that will be a major factor in determining how continued job action may affect the operation of schools.

As a Catholic school board, we remain committed to the labour negotiations process and we are hopeful a new central agreement with CUPE will be reached in the near future.

We will be posting labour relations updates on our website – www.wecdsb.on.ca - and parents are encouraged to follow us on Twitter @WECDSB.

Significant updates will also be communicated to families via our School Messenger system. We very much appreciate your understanding and patience as we work together to support our students and school communities during this time.  

Sincerely,

Terry Lyons

Director of Education

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