On Monday, February 3rd the ETFO walked off the job which resulted in all the HDSB's Elementary schools closing. The ETFO (Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario) has indicated that they will walkout again on Thursday, February 6th if no agreement has been reach. The walkout will result in the Halton District School Board closing all Elementary Schools. This maybe a province wide walkout.
We posted an article Ontario Teachers Strike: Oakville's Perspective that provides additional information about what this strike is all about.
Original Post: January 20, 2020
For Thursday, January 23rd Halton District School Board's Elementary Schools will close. The board is asking parents and caregivers to make alternate arrangements for their children. This is a one day walkout, and the teachers have indicated they will return to work on Friday, January 24th.
Where to find licensed childcare
Parents can use the licensed child care finder to contact local operators about available licensed programs in their area.
HDSB's Oakville Elementary Schools
- Abbey Lane
- Brookdale
- Captain R Wilson
- Eastview
- EJ James
- Emily Carr
- Falgarwood
- Forest Trail
- Gladys Speers
- Heritage Glen
- James W Hill
- Joshua Creek
- Maple Grove
- Montclair
- Munn's
- New Central
- Oakwood
- Oodenawi
- Palermo
- Pilgrim Wood
- Pine Grove
- Post Corner's
- River Oaks
- Sheridan
- Sunningdale
- West Oak
- WH Morden
Labour updates are available on the Halton District School Board's website.
The only way the HDSB Elementary Schools would be open on the January 23rd is if a tentative agreement is reached. From the comments made by Stephen Lecce Minister of Education, there appears to be no movement in the talks between the teachers and the government. Currently, the Minister of Education is also in labour negotiations with the Catholic School Teachers, and the Secondary School Teachers.
The Ministry of Education offered parents up to $60.00 per strike day to cover childcare expenses on January 15, 2020. More details about this financial support can be found by visiting Ontario.ca/SupportForParents or by calling the Support for Parents Helpline at 888-444-3770.
Eligibility Criteria for Childcare Payment
Eligible parents of children up to age 12 (Grade 7), or up to age 21 for children and youth with special needs, in a publicly funded school, qualify for:
- $60 per day for children aged 0-6 who are not yet enrolled in school but attend a school-based child care centre that is required to close on account of the strike.
- $40 per day for students in Junior Kindergarten (JK) and Senior Kindergarten (SK).
- $25 per day for students in Grades 1 up to and including Grade 7.
- $40 total per day for students in JK up to and including Grade 12 with a special need(s).
The Catholic School Teachers are planning a provincial walk-out on Tuesday, January 21st that will close all catholic schools (elementary and secondary). The upcoming walk-out by the secondary school teachers will not affect Halton District Schools. They have also indicated that they will not be having any walk-outs during first term exams.
ETFO in Halton represent
- Permanent and occasional (supply) teachers in elementary schools
- Designated Early Childhood Educators (DECE) working in Kindergarten classrooms
For a list of Halton District School Board employee groups, please visit this page.
The Halton District School Boards will continue to provide families and staff with accurate and timely information as they are able through email, the HDSB website and the Board’s social media pages:
To learn more about the Collective Bargaining process and current status updates, please visit this page: https://www.opsba.org/advocacy-and-action/labour-relations.