Labour Update: CUPE Strike Action

Nov. 16, 2022

CUPE, the union representing support workers in our Board, has provided notice that it intends to commence a strike (full withdrawal of services) on Monday, Nov. 21, 2022 if it does not reach a central agreement with the provincial government before then.

As we cannot safely operate schools without CUPE staff, should a strike commence, all schools in the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic District School Board will be closed to in-person learning on Monday, Nov. 21, 2022 and until further notice, and all students will transition to remote learning from home.

Classroom teachers will transition on Monday to synchronous learning. This is learning that takes place with the teacher in real time using a variety of communication tools. 

For students enrolled in our virtual school, programming will proceed as usual on Monday. 

It is our understanding that all parties will continue to be at the negotiating table this week and into the weekend. Our CUPE staff play vital roles in our school and Board communities, and it is our hope that a tentative agreement can be reached that would avert Monday’s strike. 

If there is a resolution to this labour issue up to and including early Monday morning, we will communicate directly with families about the status of schools. We ask families to check their email regularly over the weekend and to follow labour developments in the media.