OSSTF/FEESO to Commence Full Withdrawal of Services at Rainy River District School Board

FORT FRANCES, ON--(Marketwired - April 25, 2016) - Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) teachers in District 5B, Rainy River have been engaged in a selective withdrawal of services since December 2015, and remain without a contract despite another day of negotiations this week. The union membership has grown increasingly frustrated with the Rainy River District School Board's refusal to adequately address local issues at the bargaining table, and is today announcing that a full withdrawal of services, one day per week, will commence on April 27^th, 2016.

Local negotiations began a full year ago this week, but in all that time the Rainy River District School Board has agreed to only 11 days of bargaining. The teachers and occasional teachers at the secondary school level have been without a contract now for almost 20 months. While the parties have been able to reach agreement on a number of items, several significant issues remain unresolved.

"Our members are frankly exasperated with the Board's refusal to negotiate and reluctance to address our key issues. Access to work for those who are laid off, the protection of members' rights in an attendance management program, and respect for our professional judgement are significant issues that remain on the table despite our best efforts to negotiate," said Kent Kowalski, President of OSSTF/FEESO District 5B, Rainy River Secondary Teachers.

Paul Elliott, OSSTF/FEESO Provincial President and chair of the negotiations team, said, "A central agreement that settled issues such as salaries and benefits has been in place between OSSTF/FEESO, the government and the school boards' association since August 2015. So not only are we extremely disappointed with the lack of movement towards a local deal in Rainy River, but we find it particularly disconcerting that the Board has resorted to by-passing the union leadership and directly misinforming the membership about the issues that remain on the table."

OSSTF/FEESO, founded in 1919, has 60,000 members across Ontario. They include public high school teachers, occasional teachers, educational assistants, continuing education teachers and instructors, early childhood educators, psychologists, secretaries, speech-language pathologists, social workers, plant support personnel, university support staff, and many others in education.