Durham students are back in class as Ontario Premier Doug Ford promised to rescind Bill 28 in its entirety, resulting in Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) calling off its education workers strike.
“I’m glad CUPE has agreed to withdraw its strike action so kids can return to class. We’ll be back at the table to negotiate a fair deal — for students, parents, workers and taxpayers,” said Ford yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Durham District School Board (DDSB), Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board (KPRDSB) and the Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB), all announced return to in-class learning from today.
“Earlier today, various announcements and media reports indicated that the Government of Ontario has confirmed in writing to CUPE that they will be repealing Bill 28 and CUPE has publicly announced that they will be ending their labour action today and returning to work tomorrow. As a result, all DDSB schools will be open to in-person learning on Tuesday, November 8,” said Norah Marsh, DDSB Director of Education, in a communication to parents and guardians.
“It is our understanding that negotiations with CUPE will continue and we are hopeful that an agreement can be reached. We will continue to provide families with updates should any relevant information come forward,” she added.
KPR schools to re-open Tuesday, November 8
In its communication yesterday, KPR said: “We appreciate that the last few days have been extremely challenging for everyone. We value and appreciate all CUPE staff, and the important work they do in our schools and workplaces. Today, the government has announced that it will repeal Bill 28. Following that, CUPE has announced that employees will return to work and end the withdrawal of service”.
“As a result, I am pleased to share that all KPR schools will be open tomorrow (Tuesday, November 8),” said Rita Russo, KPR Director of Education.
All previously scheduled school activities and events may resume, as schools return to normal operations on Tuesday. Provincial negotiations will continue with both CUPE and the government returning to the negotiating table, and we are hopeful an agreement will be reached soon. We continue to follow the negotiations closely and will provide timely updates for families,” she added.
DCDSB schools open
All Durham Catholic schools will re-open to students tomorrow on their regular schedules, said a DSDSB statement.
“School bussing will resume as usual. Parents and guardians can stay informed on transportation updates by visiting the Durham Student Transportation Services (DSTS) website.
“As a Catholic school board, we value all our employees and respect their right to engage in the collective bargaining process. We thank parents and guardians for their understanding and cooperation over the past few days as we took necessary steps to ensure the safety of our students,” it added.
