The Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) is taking steps to minimize the impact of a work-to-rule campaign by the province's education workers, set to start next week.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) gave the required five days notice of its intended job action on Wednesday. This puts its 55,000 members spread across 63 school boards in Ontario in a legal strike position as of Monday.
"Thames Valley staff are reviewing the job action directive from CUPE provincial to members to determine the impact these will have on school and worksite operations, and to learning and working. TVDSB schools remain open to staff and students during this phase of job action," the board said in a statement.
TVDSB officials added that student safety remains a priority and that up-to-date information during the work-to-rule campaign will be provided in a "timely manner."
Custodians, maintenance workers, clerical workers, educational assistants, early childhood educators and information technology staff plan to cease all extra duties not specifically outlined in their job descriptions and will not work any overtime hours as part of their job action.
Laura Walton, president of CUPE's Ontario School Board Council of Unions, said workers planned job action comes down to protecting education services for students.
"This year we've seen those services decimated: school libraries closed over students' lunch breaks because there aren't enough library workers; school cleaning cut to the point that custodians are told they can only vacuum kindergarten classrooms once a week; eight or nine students with special needs now supported by a single education assistant; communications with parents affected because some schools have lost their school secretaries," said Walton. "If it takes job action to restore these services, then so be it. This is something worth fighting for."
There is still a chance the two sides will reach a resolution before Monday.
Union officials and the province are set to return to the bargaining table over the weekend.
