(Nov 7, 2022) Latest Updates on CUPE Action

 

Early this morning, Premier Doug Ford announced the government’s willingness to revoke Bill 28 (legislation that was introduced last week) if members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (known as CUPE) would end their current strike/walkout and return to negotiations.  CUPE has agreed to return immediately and to discontinue their job action.  

 

This means that starting tomorrow (Tuesday, November 8, 2022), all our custodial and maintenance staff will return to work and all school operations (including cafeterias in Sault Ste. Marie) can resume.   We thank parents for their patience and cooperation during the past two days.

 

We welcome our custodial and maintenance staff back and recognize that the work they do, in keeping our facilities clean and maintained, provides for healthy and safe learning and working environments.  We sincerely hope that the parties will successfully negotiate a collective agreement.
 

 

Thank you, parents/guardians/families, for your understanding and cooperation during today’s absence of our carestaff and maintenance workers.  While we remain hopeful that the provincial landscape could change over the weekend, we do anticipate the situation will continue into next week.

 

Please be advised that there were no picketers at school sites today, and we have not received any notice that this will change at this time.  We are supporting the cleaning and disinfecting at all school sites, which will also continue next week.  We will continue to focus on student safety and on keeping our schools clean, recognizing that if the job action extends beyond a few days, we will need to re-evaluate. 

 

Thus, classes will continue and ADSB schools will remain open into next week.  Childcare and Early ON programs will also remain open.  We emphasize again that cleaning and garbage removal remain a primary focus at all Sault Ste. Marie (including Mountain View Public School), Northern Area (Hornepayne, Chapleau, Wawa) and Central Algoma schools, and that cafeteria food services at Sault secondary schools will not be available until further notice, so students will need to bring a lunch or have alternate plans.  We appreciate your ongoing cooperation in providing garbage-free lunches or asking your children to bring whatever garbage they can home with them for disposal.  

 

Thank you for your ongoing patience and understanding.