Hamilton’s public schools open, Catholic schools closed with education workers off the job

Hamilton’s largest school board has opted to keep doors open at all of it’s learning facilities despite some 500 Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) caretakers and maintenance workers walking off the job in the city on Friday.

In a note to parents on Thursday night, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) chair Dawn Danko said the entity “will implement a contingency plan and assign additional staff to keep schools open.”

“Our priority continues to be student achievement, well-being, and safety. We remain committed to reaching fair, negotiated local agreements while maintaining positive long-term relationships with all staff,” Danko said in a statement earlier this week.

It’s a different story for the city’s Catholic board (HWCDSB) which has closed facilities citing “the health and safety and well-being” of students and staff as the reason.

In a joint statement on Monday, chair Pat Daly and director of education David Hansen said the board would work with child-care providers, transportation operators, third party leases, and community partners on contingency plans in light of the shut down.

Asynchronous learning and the Catholic board’s virtual school will operate on Friday.

Some 55,000 CUPE workers issued strike notice Sunday, with job action beginning Friday, in a spat over contract negotiations with the Ministry of Education.

In response, a historic and controversial bill that outlaws a strike and will impose a contract on education workers was tabled Monday and passed by the Ford government Thursday night.

1:17 Lecce says he doesn’t ‘believe’ government could have met CUPE’s demands

• Lecce says he doesn’t ‘believe’ government could have met CUPE’s demands
• Lecce says CUPE contract will become ‘floor of negotiations’ for next collective bargaining
• CUPE failed to make ‘substantial concessions’ during negotiations: Lecce
• CUPE will provide ‘financial support’ for members who face fines for joining protest: Walton
• CUPE to stage provincewide protest in response to ban on strike
• CUPE serves province with strike notice for Ontario education workers

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Negotiations between the union and the government stalled through the week and officially concluded without a deal on Thursday afternoon, leaving millions of students facing the possibility of school closures.

In a memo sent Thursday, Education Minister Stephen Lecce ordered school boards to make “every effort” to keep schools open. However, many, including the Toronto District School Board, are set to be closed Friday.

The Halton District School Board (HDSB) said in a statement on Thursday night it would keep elementary schools open in a strike using “an alternate schedule of in-person and remote learning.”

Secondary schools (Grades 9-12) would also be open for in-person learning for all students each day.

Halton Catholic board director John Klein said Thursday night their system will close all buildings to students on Nov. 4 amid the labour action.

Niagara’s Catholic Board also has closed schools with education workers absent, which includes the cancelling of field trips as well as before and after care.

The District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) has also opted to shut down schools Friday.

Executives with the Grand Erie Public School Board say schools will be closed Friday if CUPE follows through with the labour disruption.