Ottawa school board busing employees set strike date
Posted Feb 4, 2019 03:53:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation members of the District 25 Ottawa Carleton Educational Support Personnel bargaining unit has set a strike date of March 1.
The unit has filed a “No Board Report” with the Ministry of Labour on Monday.
No deal was reached during negotiations on January 29, between OSSTF and OSTA. A Ministry of Labour conciliation officer attended the talks to assist the two sides.
“With a strike mandate from our members, and the fact that we have been without a contract since August 2018, we felt we had little choice but to file a No Board Report,” said Nancy Akehurst, President of OSSTF ESP Bargaining Unit. “If we cannot reach a deal by March 1, then we may be left with no choice but to go on strike, which could impact busing services for both school boards.”
The members of the ESP bargaining unit working at OSTA coordinate busing for the Ottawa Carleton District School Board and the Ottawa Catholic School Board, and help to ensure students arrive at school and home safely.
“We remain committed to going back to the bargaining table and reaching a deal that recognizes the value of the work our members do each day,” said Cindy Dubué, provincial Vice-President of OSSTF. “It is disappointing that the employer has waited for months after our contract expired to start getting serious about negotiations.”
The next date scheduled for negotiations is February 28.
