RENFREW COUNTY — The Renfrew County District School Board was preparing for a strike of all custodial, facility, clerical and information technology employees beginning Monday, October 7.
No teachers or any in-class support staff including Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) and Educational Assistants (EAs) are part of this CUPE action with- in the Renfrew County District School Board (RCDSB). It is important to note that CUPE represents different employee groups within each school board. Some school boards have no CUPE bar- gaining units, while others have a significant amount of their workforce as part of the union.
Central bargaining negotiations are set to continue throughout the weekend and we remain hopeful that an agreement will be made and a strike will be avoided.
In the event that an agreement cannot be reached, our District will still proceed with regular school day operations on Monday, October 7. In support of our schools, we will be redeploying non-union District employees to every school beginning Monday morning.
These non-union District employees will work to support our school Principals in fulfilling a range of responsibilities including, but not limited to: managing the school door buzzer, attendance, answering phones, and essential cleaning responsibilities.
We will continue to provide information to parents/guardians and the community over the weekend as it becomes available to us. Our goal is to ensure minimal disruption to the learning of our students, with safety as our top priority.
Schools will remain open as long as they are deemed safe and suitable for student learning. We will monitor each school site on a day-to-day basis. Should a decision be made at any time to close a school, you will be notified through SchoolMessenger, Facebook, Twitter and our webpage.
Buses may encounter delays as they meet picket lines. However, busing provided by the RCJTC, will continue as usual for all students across the RCDSB District.
Drop-off and pick up will continue as usual. However, parents/guardians who drive students to school are reminded that they may cross a picket line and experience delays. Please allow for extra time.
We do not anticipate any impact on the in-class learning for your child.
This was issued on October 4, 2019.
