Dear Parents/Guardians,

Although earlier in the day there was some hope for an eleventh hour agreement in the dispute between the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Ontario government, we are now aware that talks have broken off.  This means CUPE education workers across the province will not report for work tomorrow. 

As previously communicated, without the in-school support of our CUPE staff, the St. Clair Catholic District School Board cannot ensure learning environments will remain safe and clean for all students and staff.  The Board has no option but to close schools to all students tomorrow, Friday, November 4, 2022.  Again, we do not take this decision lightly; however, student supervision, safety and wellbeing are the Board’s first priority.

At this point, the length of the work stoppage is not known.  Although the Ontario government has introduced legislation to avert a strike by CUPE, the union has made public statements in the media that it will defy any return to work order and remain on strike until further notice.  Parents/guardians should prepare for an uncertain future and make alternate child care arrangements, as necessary.

Should the strike continue into next week, St. Clair Catholic has a plan in place to switch to remote learning.  Further details will be communicated tomorrow.

We continue to be hopeful that negotiations will resume and that CUPE and the Ontario government will reach an agreement that is fair and equitable to all parties.

There will be further communications as new information becomes available.  Updates will be posted at https://newsdesk.st-clair.net/ on the Board website and on social media platforms.

Sincerely,
Scott Johnson
Director of Education