Collective Bargaining Updates

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DCDSB is committed to providing updates on the status of the collective bargaining process. An overview of each bargaining unit is provided below. We will continue to share information on this website as it becomes available.

Update #7

October 6, 2019

CUPE Agreement Reached – Schools Open Monday, October 7, 2019

We are pleased to inform you that talks between the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the Government of Ontario and the trustees’ associations were successful over the weekend and an agreement was reached.

As such, CUPE will not engage in strike action and our schools are open to students on Monday, October 7, 2019.

As a Catholic school board, we respect the collective bargaining rights of our employee union groups and we are pleased that an agreement has been reached centrally for education workers represented by CUPE across the province.

The next phase of the collective bargaining process will continue at the local level between DCDSB and CUPE Local 218, which represents our custodians, maintenance workers, secretaries, educational assistants and ICT staff.

We will continue to provide updates on the status of labour negotiations for all of our union groups at www.dcdsb.ca/collectivebargaining.

Update #6

October 4, 2019

We recognize that we may be entering a time of disruption for students, families and staff across the board and province as collective bargaining continues to progress centrally among union groups, the Government of Ontario and trustees’ associations.

We hope the information below will help to address some of your questions in the event of a strike on Monday, October 7.

When will we know if a strike will proceed and if schools will be open or closed on Monday, October 7?

CUPE, the Government of Ontario and the school trustees’ associations continue to meet and negotiations may proceed well into the weekend.

The board will provide an update about the status of schools as soon as we receive notice. We will communicate directly with parents and guardians via our School Messenger service and post updates at www.dcdsb.ca/collectivebargaining.

If a settlement is reached, DCDSB schools will be open for students on Monday morning.

If a strike proceeds and schools close to students, what happens to childcare services operating in the schools?

Childcare programs for infants, toddlers and preschoolers (who are currently enrolled) will continue to operate.

Parents and guardians of students who attend before and after school programs should contact their childcare provider.

What will educators and other non-striking staff do during a CUPE strike?

In the event of a CUPE strike on Monday, October 7, non-striking staff members are expected to report to work as usual. In the absence of students in classrooms, educators will be participating in a variety of professional development activities.

What is the status of Community Use of Schools permits?

Community Use of School permits have been cancelled in the event of a strike or ongoing work-to-rule job action.

How can I stay informed throughout the labour relations process?

Parents and guardians will receive important communications through the board’s School Messenger system. We will also continue to update our website at www.dcdsb.ca/collectivebargaining.

My child is in a cooperative education program that is outside of the school. Can students continue to participate in the program at their coop site?

No. When schools are closed to students, cooperative education placements are cancelled.

Will Continuing Education Centres for adult learners close?

All continuing education sites will close, with the exception of Giffard Centre in Whitby.

Will ESL and LINC classes operate during the strike period?

Yes, ESL, LINC and CNC classes will operate as usual at the Giffard Centre. All other continuing education classes will close.

Will the Welcome Centre in Ajax remain open?

LINC and ESL day and night classes will remain open at the Welcome Centre.

Will community partners who rent space at DCDSB remain open?

Yes, community partners such as Grandview Children Services, Community Innovation Lab and Brock Community Centre will remain open during a strike.

Update #5

October 4, 2019

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is planning a full withdrawal of services effective Monday, October 7, 2019 unless an agreement is reached over the weekend.

The health and safety of our students continues to be our highest priority. With that in mind, and upon careful review of various health and safety considerations, the Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) has determined that we cannot safely operate our schools for students during a full CUPE strike.

As such, all of our schools will be closed to students in elementary, secondary and continuing education sites as of Monday, October 7, 2019 unless a new central agreement between CUPE, the Government of Ontario and the trustee associations can be reached before then.

We advise parents and guardians to make alternate child care arrangements beginning this Monday.

In the event of a full strike on Monday, parents and guardians will receive notification prior to the start of the school day directly via School Messenger. Updates will also be posted at www.dcdsb.ca/collectivebargaining.

The decision to close schools for students is a difficult one to make, but after assessing the ability and resources to maintain service levels in special education, supervision, safe arrival procedures and secure school environments, this decision was made with student safety as our highest priority.

As a Catholic school board, we continue to respect the collective bargaining process and are hopeful that ongoing talks and negotiations will result in a full settlement between the bargaining parties.

Update #4

October 3, 2019

Pending Strike Action

Yesterday we advised families that the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) provided notice of their intention to escalate job action to a strike on Monday, October 7, 2019. This means a full withdrawal of services by our education workers represented by CUPE if a provincial agreement is not reached over the weekend.

This pending strike action may result in school closures which would mean students cannot go to school. Families are encouraged to have childcare arrangements in place in advance of a strike notification.

In the event of school closures, parents and guardians will receive notice from the board via School Messenger. Updates will also be posted at www.dcdsb.ca/collectivebargaining.

Update on school childcare centres

Childcare centres in our schools are operated by a variety of providers. Each of these organizations will be making their own decisions regarding their services. Please contact your childcare centre for information on services in the event of school closures.

Update #3

October 2, 2019

Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) representing education workers across the province has served notice of legal strike action effective Monday, October 7, 2019. A legal strike can be a normal part of the collective bargaining process during labour negotiations.

In our board, CUPE represents support staff including custodians, maintenance staff, secretaries, clerical staff, educational assistants, and information technology employees.

As always, the safety and supervision of our school communities is our highest priority. As we work with administrators to minimize implications on class instruction, please make note of the following information:

While we do not plan to close schools at this time, we will be monitoring the situation over the coming days. We recommend that parents and guardians have child care arrangements in place, should we be in a position where schools must close.

In the event of school closures, parents and guardians will receive notification prior to the start of the school day directly via School Messenger. Updates will also be posted at www.dcdsb.ca/collectivebargaining as information becomes available.

Child care centres and after school programs within our schools will continue to operate during the strike. Please reach out to the child care provider at your school if you have questions regarding their services.

Student transportation services will continue to be provided, however, some delays are anticipated due to possible legal picketing by CUPE members. Parents and guardians can stay informed on transportation updates by visiting the Durham Student Transportation Services (DSTS) website at www.dsts.on.ca or by following @Durhamsts on Twitter.

For parents and guardians who drive their children to school, please note that there could be traffic delays in your child’s school community due to picket lines.

As a Catholic school board, we continue to respect the collective bargaining process and are hopeful that an agreement will be reached soon.

Update #2

September 30, 2019

DCDSB Student Safety - Elementary

Education workers represented by CUPE are currently on a legal work-to-rule, which means the withdrawal of some core services. This may impact wait times for school doors to be unlocked during instructional time.

Parents and guardians who are dropping off their children after the start of the instructional day should wait until they see their child safely enter the building prior to leaving. Together we can ensure the safe arrival of students.

Update #1

September 27, 2019

Labour negotiations are currently underway across Ontario, which involve Durham Catholic District School Board’s (DCDSB) employee union groups. While we are not directly involved in central bargaining at the provincial level, we know that the parties are working diligently to achieve an agreement.

Education workers represented by Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) will be in a legal strike position as of Monday September 30, 2019. In our Board, CUPE represents support staff such as custodians, maintenance staff, secretaries, educational assistants, and information technology employees.

We have been informed that as part of the collective bargaining process, CUPE education workers may begin work to rule actions at that time. Work-to-rule action means the partial withdrawal of some core services.

As always, the safety and well-being of our students and staff remains our highest priority. DCDSB is working diligently with our principals, vice-principals and managers to minimize impact on our students and school communities. However, we are aware that employees represented by CUPE provide many important services within our schools and board, and despite our best efforts, the withdrawal of these services will cause some disruption.

DCDSB is committed to providing updates on the status of the collective bargaining process. Information will be posted as it becomes available at www.dcdsb.ca/collectivebargaining. To receive timely updates, you can subscribe to the page by clicking on the “Subscribe to this Page” button.

As a Catholic school board, we respect the collective bargaining process and are hopeful that an agreement will be reached soon.

Overview of Collective Bargaining Units

Association of Professional Student Services Personnel (APSSP)

APSSP represents the para-professional staff in their employment with the Board. The current collective agreement between the parties expires August 31, 2019. The bargaining agent that represents APSSP at the provincial level under the School Boards’ Collective Bargaining Act (SBCBA), The Educational Workers' Alliance of Ontario (EWAO), served the Ontario Catholic Trustees’ Association (OCSTA) with its notice to bargain on May 10, 2019. The parties to the SBCBA are in the process of scheduling a first collective bargaining meeting for their respective central negotiations table is scheduled for June 19, 2019.

It is anticipated that local collective bargaining between the Board and its APSSP partners will begin after the central bargaining process has concluded.