Collective Bargaining Updates

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 #16

January 15, 2020

Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario

Please be advised that ETFO members of the Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) are not on strike on Monday, January 20, 2020. All classes for all students will continue as normal. 

ETFO has announced they will be engaging in rotating strikes at various boards across the province in the coming weeks. Should we receive notice that DCDSB’s ETFO members will be engaging in a withdrawal of services at any time, we will notify affected families directly.

ETFO members at DCDSB consist of the 100 early childhood educators who work with Kindergarten students in all of our elementary schools. We respect our early childhood educators and all DCDSB employee groups, and hope for a timely resolution at the central bargaining table that meets the needs of students.

Visit www.dcdsb.ca/collectivebargaining for continued updates.

Update #15

January 13, 2020

DCDSB schools will be closed to students on Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Today the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) announced its members will engage in a one-day strike on Tuesday, January 21, 2020. This means there will be a full withdrawal of services in all Catholic elementary and secondary schools across the province.

Please do not send your child to school on Tuesday, January 21, 2020. In the interest of student safety, our schools will be closed to students. Families are encouraged to make childcare arrangements for the day. Classes will resume regular instruction on Wednesday, January 22, 2020.

While we regret any disruption to student learning, we respect our teachers and understand that legal strikes can be a normal part of the collective bargaining process when negotiating a collective agreement. Legal picketing is a protected right of unions under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

We remain hopeful that an agreement will be reached soon and will continue to communicate as information becomes available at www.dcdsb.ca/collectivebargaining.

Update #14

January 10, 2020

Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has announced its intention to escalate its work-to-rule job action effective Monday, January 13. In our board, ETFO represents the 99 early childhood educators who serve Kindergarten students in our elementary schools. ETFO does not represent DCDSB teachers.

During this time, education workers represented by ETFO will continue its work-to-rule job action, with the withdrawal of additional services such as supervision during extra-curricular activities, field trips, or planning and participation in school assemblies.

As always, the safety and well-being of our students and staff remains our highest priority. DCDSB continues to work with principals, vice-principals and managers to minimize impact on students. We are, however, aware that employees represented by ETFO play an important role in the instruction, safety and well-being of our youngest learners, and the withdrawal of services may cause some disruption.

We respect that legal job action is a legal part of the collective bargaining process and we will continue to update families as information becomes available at www.dcdsb.ca/collectivebargaining.

Update #13

January 10, 2020

Grade 9 EQAO Math Assessment

The Grade 9 EQAO Math assessment scheduled for the week of January 13 will not be administered during the OECTA administrative job action. All secondary students are to come to school and attend their regularly scheduled classes.

Information for parents and guardians of Grade 9 Math students.

Update #12

January 10, 2020

OECTA to proceed with administrative job action

While negotiations continued over the last few days, an agreement between the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), the Government of Ontario, and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association was not reached.

As a result, OECTA has confirmed that its members will engage in administrative job action on Monday, January 13, 2020. This means the withdrawal of some administrative duties performed by teachers. Below we have provided important information for students, parents and guardians during the labour sanction.

Daily instruction and school activities

• Daily instruction and school/classroom activities will continue, and students should come to school prepared to learn as normal.
• Field trips, retreats, sports and clubs will continue as scheduled.
• Staff supervision of students during regular school hours will continue as normal.
• Meetings for parents, such as Catholic School Councils, Grade 8 parent nights or Kindergarten information meetings will take place as scheduled.
• Individual Education Plans (IEPs) will be completed.

Other considerations

• Grade 9 EQAO Math testing scheduled for the week of January 13 will not be administered at this time. All secondary students are to come to school and attend their regularly scheduled classes. Parents and guardians of Grade 9 Mathematics students will receive an update from DCDSB directly via School Messenger.

• We remind drivers to drive with caution to ensure safe school communities, and allow for extra time when commuting in school zones.

• Legal job action can be a normal part of the collective bargaining process when negotiating a collective agreement. Legal picketing is a protected right of unions under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

We are hopeful that negotiations will conclude as quickly as possible. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates at www.dcdsb.ca/collectivebargaining.

Update #11

January 8, 2020

Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association

Today the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) announced its intention to begin work-to-rule job action on Monday, January 13, 2020 if an agreement cannot be reached. This is part of the legal collective bargaining process.

In the Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB), OECTA represents all elementary, secondary and occasional teachers.

The work-to-rule job action is focused on the withdrawal of some administrative duties that are performed by teachers. Daily instruction and classroom activities will continue.

While the board is not directly involved in central bargaining at the provincial level, we respect the negotiation process, and know that the parties are working diligently to achieve an agreement as talks continue.

Information regarding job action and any anticipated direct impact on student learning, including the administration of the Grade 9 EQAO assessment, will be provided as details become available. Updates on the status of the collective bargaining process can be found at www.dcdsb.ca/collectivebargaining.

Update #10

December 11, 2019 

Education Workers’ Alliance of Ontario

We are pleased to inform you that the Education Workers’ Alliance of Ontario (EWAO), the Government of Ontario and the Council of Trustees’ Associations have reached a tentative agreement.

EWAO is an alliance that includes the 46 Durham Catholic District School Board professional staff members represented by the Association of Professional Student Services Personnel (APSSP).

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

Update #9

December 3, 2019 

Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation 

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) is holding a one-day strike at all of its public secondary schools on Wednesday, December 4, 2019. It is important to note that OSSTF does not represent any DCDSB teachers or other employees. 

All Durham Catholic secondary schools remain open on Wednesday, December 3, 2019. This will not impact the instructional day for our students; however, traffic delays may be anticipated due to picket lines planned at neighbouring public secondary schools. 

We will update families as information 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 agreements will be reached between all parties.

Update #8

November 14, 2019

Labour negotiations involving Durham Catholic District School Board’s (DCDSB) employee union groups continue to progress across Ontario. While the board is not directly involved in central bargaining at the provincial level, we know that the parties are working diligently to achieve collective agreements. The information below includes updates on potential job action among the various bargaining groups.

Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) is in a legal strike position effective Monday, November 18, 2019. It is important to note that OSSTF does not represent any DCDSB teachers or other employees. Should the union announce its intent to proceed with job action, this will not impact the instructional day for our students; however, traffic delays may be anticipated if a full strike is announced and picket lines are planned at neighbouring public schools.

Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario

Education workers and teachers represented by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) will be in a legal strike position as of Monday, November 25, 2019. In our board, ETFO represents the 99 early childhood educators who serve Kindergarten students in our elementary schools. ETFO does not represent DCDSB teachers.

We have been informed that as part of the collective bargaining process, ETFO members 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 will work with principals, vice-principals and managers to minimize impact on students. We are, however, aware that employees represented by ETFO play an important role in the instruction, safety and well-being of our youngest learners, and the withdrawal of services may cause some disruption.

Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association

All elementary and secondary teachers at DCDSB are represented by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA). As part of the legal bargaining process, the members of OECTA have voted in favour of strike action if an agreement is not reached. Negotiations with the province continue and there are steps and timelines which need to be met before job action can take place.

We will update families as information 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 agreements will be reached between all parties.

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.

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