Media Release

Negotitations Update

February 7, 2017

Board to Commence One Day Lockout of

Senior Elementary Teachers
Since 2015, the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board (TBCDSB) has been in
local collective agreement negotiations with OECTA, the union representing our
elementary school teachers. In this time, we have reached agreement on the vast
majority of issues. The key outstanding issue is a proposal from the unions
bargaining committee that would limit the Boards ability to place existing teachers in
vacant positions who have all of the reasonable experiences and relevant criteria to
help our students learn.

On June 23, 2015 the union commenced work-to-rule actions and today commenced
a rotating strike at our three senior elementary schools. The Board had offered to
continue with negotiations today, if the rotating strike was suspended. The union
did not agree to this proposal.

The Board has been clear with the union that the safety of our students is our
priority and that if rotating strikes were initiated at any of the TBCDSB schools, we
would respond by locking out.

After much discussion and consideration, tomorrow morning the Board will lockout
teachers at Bishop Gallagher, Bishop E. Q. Jennings, and Pope John Paul II for one
day on Wednesday February 8, 2017. The schools will be open, but parents should
expect picket lines and delays. Parents may wish to consider alternate childcare
arrangements during this lockout. Every effort will be made to ensure your child is
in a safe environment, but programming will be greatly affected by this lockout.

Tomorrows lockout only affects senior elementary schools and all other schools
remain open and unaffected. However, after much discussion and consideration, the
Board has decided that if the Union commences any further rotating strikes, the
Board will lock out all of the elementary schools.

The Board will contact the provincial mediator about a further meeting with the
union to reach a negotiated collective agreement and end the current labour
disruption, said Director of Education, Pino Tassone.

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Thunder Bay Catholic
District School Board For the information please contact:
459 Victoria Avenue W. Mike Thompson
Thunder Bay, ON Communication Officer,
Tel (807) 625-1587 Tel. (807) 472-5094