News

Hamilton Elementary Public School Teachers on a One-Day Strike on Monday

By Ryan McGreal
Published December 14, 2012

According to the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB), the city's elementary public schools will be closed on Monday as teachers go on a one-day strike.

The HWDSB just posted a labour update [PDF] from education director John Malloy and trustee chair Tim Simmons to announce that all classes and transportation at elementary schools are cancelled on Monday, December 17.

Without adequate staff, the Board cannot keep the schools open, so parents and guardians will need to make alternate child care arrangements on that date.

Schools will re-open and classes will resume on Tuesday, December 18.

The teachers, who are members of the Hamilton-Wentworth Elementary Teachers Local (HWETL), are engaging in a one-day strike to protest Bill 115, which was passed in September 2012 and grants the Ontario Government the power to prevent strikes or lockouts in the labour disputes between teachers' unions and school boards.

The unions argue that Bill 115 violates their collective bargaining rights.

So far, the Ontario Government has not exercised its power under Bill 115, and job actions by the teachers have escalated from work-to-rule to rolling one-day strikes. The teachers unions have committed that they will provide 72 hours' notice before any job action.

Ryan McGreal, the editor of Raise the Hammer, lives in Hamilton with his family and works as a programmer, writer and consultant. Ryan volunteers with Hamilton Light Rail, a citizen group dedicated to bringing light rail transit to Hamilton. Ryan wrote a city affairs column in Hamilton Magazine, and several of his articles have been published in the Hamilton Spectator. His articles have also been published in The Walrus, HuffPost and Behind the Numbers. He maintains a personal website, has been known to share passing thoughts on Twitter and Facebook, and posts the occasional cat photo on Instagram.

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By Woody10 (registered) | Posted December 19, 2012 at 00:17:31

Ya, really jealous. And ignorant. Maybe it's Tim Hudak??

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