What you need to know if your child’s school closes due to a CUPE strike
Posted October 4, 2019 2:24 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says their workers will be walking off the job Monday, a week into a work-to-rule campaign as talks continue with the province Friday. Negotiations are expected to last through the weekend. The following is all the information you need to know about the potential strike and how it will affect your child’s school.
The following school boards will be closing on Monday should a CUPE strike occur:
Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board
Ottawa Catholic School Board
Peel District School Board
Toronto District School Board
Toronto Catholic District School Board
Waterloo Catholic District School Board
Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board
York Region District School Board
York Catholic District School Board
Durham Catholic District School Board
Near North District School Board
Durham District School Board
When will I know if my child’s school is closed or not?
CUPE has said they will be striking at midnight on Monday should a deal not be reached with the province. School boards across the GTA say they will be monitoring the talks closely and if a settlement is reached, they will be open on Monday. Should the strike go forward at midnight, school boards will immediately let parents know they are closing.
How will the school boards be letting parents know if they are closed?
Dufferin-Peel Catholic
They will be letting parents know whether schools are closed via their website and on twitter @DPCDSB. They will also be using their school messenger program and will be sending out emails and voice mail messages to parents.
Peel District
News of school closures will be sent by email to parents and will be posted on school and board websites. It will also be posted on their social media channels.
Toronto District
Updates will be provided on their website in the Labour section and will be posted on their Twitter account, @TDSB.
Toronto Catholic District
Parents are encouraged to listen to media broadcasts, follow @TCDSB on twitter, visit their website or call into the 24-hour telephone information line to get updates. If you have provided email information to the school board, an email message will also be sent out to confirm whether the schools will be open or closed.
York Region District
Updates will be posted on the school board website along with on their twitter account, @YRSDB.
York Catholic
Parents will be notified via School Messenger by phone and by email messages on Sunday or early Monday morning if negotiations go late. There will also be updates posted on the school board website and on Twitter, @YCDSB.
Durham Catholic
School Messenger will also be utilized to notify parents in the Durham Catholic District School Board. The updates will also be posted on their website.
Durham District
They will be providing confirmation of the school status on Sunday evening and it will be distributed through School Messenger. There will also be an update posted on their website and on their twitter account, @DurhamDSB.
Why are the schools closing if the teachers aren’t striking?
School boards are closing because many say they would be unable to ensure the safety of students should CUPE workers walk off the job. Some of these workers include secretaries, custodial staff and educational assistants. All non-CUPE employees will still be required to report to work.
Why are some schools remaining open?
Some school boards are remaining open due to their support staff not being represented by CUPE and are not affected by the strike.
Will childcare centres be closed?
The York Catholic District School Board says all of their childcare centres located in the schools will remain open with the exception of St. Rene Goupil/St. Luke Catholic Elementary School in Thornhill and St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School in Richmond Hill, which will be closed.
The Durham Catholic District School Board says their childcare centres are run by a variety of providers and each one will be making their own decision. Parents are asked to contact their individual childcare centre to find out if they will remain open
The Toronto Catholic District School Board and the Toronto District School Board say the third-party childcare centres will remain open. However, operating hours will be adjusted to 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. They also add the decision to remain open or closed will be up to the individual operators and parents are encouraged to contact them to confirm details.
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and Peel District School Board will be closing childcare centres.
The York Region District School Board childcare centres will be open as they are run by independent operators
What else might be affected by the strike?
The City Of Toronto has announced that city-run programs in schools – such as recreation programs, pool activities and after-school recreation care – would be cancelled should a strike go ahead.
Brampton has announced they will be offering full-day camps at several community centres across the city in the event of a strike for children aged four to 13. They will be held at the following locations: Brampton Soccer Centre, Gore Meadows Community Centre, Ken Giles Recreation Centre, Cassie Campbell Recreation Centre, Earnscliffe Recreation Centre and Greenbriar Recreation Centre.
All continuing education classes are cancelled within the Toronto District School Board along with school council meetings, advisory committee meetings and ward forums.
Continuing education classes, including English as Second Language and night school at the Durham District School Board, will also be closed.
