The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board is filing for a court injunction to stop striking picketers from delaying teachers entry into schools.
Board spokesperson Stephen Fields says teachers are being blocked by picketers from parking their cars. He says some of the delays have been unreasonable.
"At some of the schools that have been particularly hard hit, and those would be mostly at the secondary level, we've been seeing delays in some cases of up to five hours," says Fields. "We've been experiencing long delays at some of our schools and we are seeking a legal remedy to make sure that our students are getting the education that they're entitled to and this is really what this is all about."
According to Fields, students are waiting hours at times before their teachers are able to get to class because of the delays caused by picketers.
"Since this began, we've been getting numerous calls in our office from parents who are angry about the fact that teachers are being delayed in getting into their classrooms and that their children are not getting the education that they're entitled to," says Fields.
While Fields says the board respects the staff's right to strike and hold information pickets, he says that's not what's been happening.
"There's a big different between an information picket and a delay and that's what we're seeing out there," says Fields.
About 370 support staff including custodians and secretaries with Unifor Local 2458 have been on strike since October 17.
