Peel District School Board – Strike Action begins Dec 10, 2012.

Dec 5th, 2012 – 1:30pm –> I just received the following email from Peel District School Board:

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR FAMILIES: Start of job action by Peel elementary teachers

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) will begin labour action in Peel elementary schools on Dec. 10, 2012. This job action is currently being taken in a number of school boards across Ontario. We know that, as parents, it’s important for you to know how this situation may affect your child so I’m writing to provide you with an update.

Beginning Dec. 10, ETFO has directed elementary teachers not to:

• participate in field trips, play days or class excursions
• participate in extra-curricular activities
• participate in any voluntary activities such as school fundraising activities, including, but not limited to, magazine sales, cookie sales and tuck shops/canteens
• participate in activities that involve the collection of monies and the work associated with these activities, such as book orders, milk order, lunch days (pizza/hot dogs), etc.
• communicate with parents outside of the school day
• attend before- or after-school meetings or events
• participate in board or ministry professional development workshops/activities/events
• arrive at school earlier than 30 minutes before classes begin and remain at school longer than 30 minutes after classes end

As well, ETFO has notified us that a one-day strike will take place in all Peel board elementary schools this December. We have not yet been told when the strike will happen. ETFO has said we will be advised 72 hours before the strike date. Once we know when the strike will take place, we will inform families and students about the status of schools as quickly as possible.

Our priority remains the safety of our students and we want you to clearly understand the status of our schools during any strike action. We will continue to monitor the situation and its impact on Peel elementary students. We are committed to keeping you informed. We will continue to send information home and post updates on the Peel board’s website at www.peelschools.org/aboutus/labour, if the situation changes.

As a board, we respect our elementary teachers and value their work with students. We remain committed to reaching fair, negotiated agreements with all of our employee groups. Thank you for your patience, support and understanding.

Janet McDougald
Chair, Peel District School Board