MEDIA RELEASE WELLINGTON CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) withdrew services on Friday, November 4 as a result of a breakdown in negotiations with the Province. As noted in our November 3 communication, decisions regarding school closures would be made today with consideration of our ability to safely maintain schools if strike action extended past today.
At the present time, we anticipate strike action to continue into next week and will not be able to maintain schools to a level required without our CUPE custodians and maintenance staff.
As a result, all CUPE- staffed schools in Guelph, Erin and Rockwood will be closed to in-person learning on Monday, November 7, 2022. St. John Bosco Secondary School and non-CUPE staffed schools will remain open.
If we receive information over the weekend that the strike will be discontinued, we will inform parents and prepare to open. We are hopeful that the Province of Ontario and CUPE will reengage in discussions to avoid further strike action.
What to expect during school closures related to the current labour strike:
- CUPE-staffed Wellington Catholic DSB schools will be closed to students for in-person learning. St. John Bosco Secondary School and non-CUPE staffed schools will remain open. See the list below for further details.
- Transportation for Wellington Catholic School students attending CUPE-staffed schools will be cancelled for the duration of the closure.
- Before and After School programs at CUPE-staffed schools will be closed.
- Childcare programs (Infant, Toddler and Pre-School) operating at Sacred Heart Rockwood and St. Michael Guelph will remain open.
- Wellington Catholic DSB educators will provide instructions and asynchronous learning materials to their D2L site by 10:30 a.m. for students and parents and will be available through the day on Monday. Educators will provide a schedule of synchronous learning opportunities for future days if the closure extends beyond a day.
- Schools will provide separate information regarding access to technology or special circumstances for students who cannot access remote learning.
- All in-person extracurricular activities and athletic events taking place in schools will be postponed or cancelled.
- All Community Use of Schools Permits will be cancelled until further notice.
- There will be no International Languages Program or other programs which take place in Wellington Catholic DSB schools on Saturday, November 5 or Sunday, November 6.
- Report Cards and Parent-teacher Interviews scheduled for next week will be delayed if job action continues beyond the weekend.
We are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to share information with you as further developments occur. Communication will take place through e-mail, social media and the Wellington Catholic DSB website.
We thank you for your patience and understanding as we respond to our current circumstances and we continue to pray as a community for a resolution to this matter.
