CUPE Negotiations Update Nov. 16 2022
Posted on 11/16/2022
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) are currently in contract negotiations with the Ontario Government. Unfortunately, it appears parties at the table are at an impasse. As announced earlier today, November 16, CUPE has provided five-day notice announcing a full withdrawal of services effective Monday, November 21.
This means CUPE members in the Limestone District School Board will be engaged in a full withdrawal of services should central negotiations not lead to a fair, mutually agreeable agreement between the parties.
Given the range of critical roles and services provided by over 750 CUPE members in Limestone, with a full withdrawal of services, we cannot safely operate schools and provide in-person learning. As a result, unless a settlement is achieved, all schools and buildings will be closed to students and the public on Monday, November 21, 2022.
Families should have a contingency plan in place for Monday and potentially longer if central negotiations do not resume. We do remain hopeful that the parties will resolve this matter with a negotiated settlement.
We appreciate that timely communication is important, and we commit to providing our school communities with additional details as soon as we can. Similar to an inclement weather day, notification confirming the status of our schools for in-person learning could be as late as Sunday evening or Monday morning and will be provided via Board communication channels and direct email to families.
The Board greatly values the work of all its employees and their commitment to student learning and well-being. Limestone respects the collective bargaining process and are hopeful for a negotiated agreement, will be reached this week without any impact on classrooms and board operations.
In Limestone, CUPE Local 1480 represents include Maintenance Workers, Courier Drivers, Caretakers, Facility Services Project Coordinators, Office/Clerical Staff, Library Technicians, Early Childhood Educators (ECEs), Educational Assistants (EAs), Interpreters, Intervenors, Intervention Assistants, Communicative Disorders Assistants, Finance Staff (Payroll, Accounting, Purchasing), ITS Staff (Administrators, Specialists, Technicians and Analysts), Educational Services Staff (Technician and Coordinator), Outdoor Education Staff (coordinator, program manager).