WEST CARLETON – If your child attends one of West Carleton’s three public schools, start re-scheduling your day as teacher job action planned for Jan. 15 will cancel the school day.

Teachers and education workers represented by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) in Ottawa are set to take part in a one-day, full withdrawal of services Wednesday (Jan. 15). Because of this, the Ontario District School Board (OCDSB) is closing all of its elementary and secondary schools that day.

“The OCDSB is asking parents and students to prepare for escalations of labour actions.,” the OCDSB released in a statement Friday (Jan. 10). “In addition to previous actions, today, OSSTF announced it intends to hold another one-day strike in select school boards, including the OCDSB, on Wednesday, January 15, unless an agreement is reached. 

The closure will include regular school day activities, Co-op, Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP), dual credit courses and home instruction as well as extra-curricular activities, field trips, clubs and testing activities planned for Jan. 15. It will also include Extended Day Programs operated by the OCDSB and some operated by third-party providers. All community use of school permits for Jan. 15 will be cancelled.

Starting Monday (Jan. 13) the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) announced public elementary teachers will no longer supervise extra-curricular activities unless they are scheduled within the regular school day nor will they participate in field trips. Schools will communicate information relating to specific cancellations.

ETFO has advised their members to arrive at work no earlier than 30 minutes before the start of the instructional day for students and leave 15 minutes after the end of the day, among other measures. 

If an agreement is not reached by Jan. 17, ETFO has advised they will begin a series of rotating strikes at select school boards starting on Monday, Jan. 20. 

“The OCDSB remains hopeful that an agreement can be reached at the central bargaining tables,” the OCDSB said. “However, parents should have plans in place for a one-day strike on Wednesday, January 15 and consider alternate arrangements in the event of future withdrawals. We appreciate the uncertainty this situation creates.”

Parents received a letter via email from the OCDSB on Jan. 10 detailing these actions and providing information on the union groups involved in the negotiations.

The strike action affects the following local school boards:

• Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
• École élémentaire publique Carrefour Jeunesse (Rockland)
• École élémentaire publique Charlotte-Lemieux (Ottawa)
• École élémentaire publique De la Rivière Castor (Embrun)
• École élémentaire publique des Sentiers (Orléans)
• École élémentaire publique Francojeunesse (Ottawa)
• École élémentaire publique Gabrielle-Roy (Ottawa)
• École élémentaire publique Julie-Payette (Kanata)
• École élémentaire publique Le Prélude (Orléans)
• École élémentaire publique Le Trillium (Ottawa)
• École élémentaire publique Marie-Curie (Ottawa)
• École élémentaire publique Michaëlle-Jean (Nepean)
• École élémentaire publique Nouvel Horizon (Hawkesbury)
• École élémentaire publique Rose des Vents (Cornwall)
• École élémentaire publique Séraphin-Marion (Ottawa)
• École secondaire publique Omer-Deslauriers (Ottawa)
• École secondaire publique De la Salle (Ottawa)
• École secondaire publique Gisèle-Lalonde (Orléans)
• École secondaire publique Louis-Riel (Gloucester)
• École secondaire publique L’Alternative (Ottawa)
• École publique Le Transit (Ottawa)
• École des adultes Le Carrefour (Ottawa)
• École secondaire publique Le Sommet (Hawkesbury)
• École élémentaire et secondaire publique l’Académie de la Seigneurie (Casselman)
• Centre d’éducation et de formation de l’Est ontarien (CEFEO) (Ottawa)
• École secondaire publique L’Héritage (Cornwall)