February 5, 2017

Press Release
Thunder Bay The Thunder Bay Elementary Unit of OECTA announced that rotating
strikes will commence on Tuesday, February 7, 2016 with three schools slated to
walk out on that day. Parents are advised that elementary teachers from Pope John
Paul II, Bishop E.Q. Jennings, and Bishop Gallagher Schools will initiate a full
withdrawal of service on Tuesday. Picket lines and traffic disruptions are likely.
The Board has said publically that they remain available to continue the negotiation
but there are currently no bargaining dates scheduled between the catholic
elementary teachers and the school board. All the Director has to do is pick up the
telephone, says Aldo Grillo President of the Thunder Bay Elementary Unit of the
Ontario English catholic Teachers Association. We are available anytime to bargain
a fair resolution to this labour dispute, says Grillo. In the alternative we have also
repeatedly offered to accept voluntary binding arbitration by an independent third
party and promised to immediately end all sanctions and return to work as normal
but the school board continues to reject that offer.
On Thursday January 26, 2017 the CBC reported that Ontario's Education Minister
Mitzie Hunter weighed in on the situation: "We want parents to know that our
government shares their concerns about a potential labour disruption and the
impact this would have on students," the Education Minister said in a written
statement. "We strongly encourage the parties to use all of the options available to
them to resolve the dispute, including binding arbitration."
But that doesnt seem to matter to the school board, which continues to refuse the
arbitration option. We arent going to resolve this labour dispute if we arent even
talking to one another, says Grillo so maybe the perspective of a third party is the
way to go to get to a fair resolution.
The Catholic Elementary Teachers are seeking contract provisions that are similar to
what already exists in at least 15 other catholic school boards in the province and
the TBCD School Board OSSTF Education Worker contract already has almost
exactly what the teachers have been asking for consideration of seniority and
qualifications in Board transfer decisions.
The Board did finally offer us some of the criteria we were looking for but it came
with a complete override provision that made all the agreed upon criteria useless,
says Grillo. If the Board wants to talk we will be available but we havent heard
from them since they walked out of the hotel where we were bargaining.
The Thunder Bay Elementary Unit of OECTA represents approximately 380 members
in 18 Catholic elementary schools in the City of Thunder Bay and is the Thunder Bay
CDS Boards largest workgroup.
For more information, contact:
Aldo Grillo,
President, OECTA Thunder Bay Elementary Unit
807-345-6442 oectael@tbaytel.net