Press Release
Despite efforts to reach a deal this week, mediation between the Rainy River District School Board and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (District 5B) ended unsuccessfully during the night of Jan. 19.
The teachers’ union informed the board that it intends to continue its partial withdrawal of services that began on Dec. 9.
“The board shares the disappointment of students and their families that an agreement could not be reached and the local teachers’ union has chosen withdrawal of services over the negotiations table,” said board chair Dianne McCormack.
“We are extremely frustrated as the board’s proposals are comparable to those of our local elementary teachers and of other school board agreements across Ontario,” she noted.
“And [they] do not erode OSSTF’s current agreement as they contain responses to proposals from OSSTF only,” McCormack added.
The board’s negotiations team has participated in bargaining since April, 2015.
To date, the board has met with the local teachers’ union nine times.
The board remains committed to reaching fair, equitable agreements with all of its employee groups.
The board values its partnership with parents, and will provide any new information and updates as they arise.
There also is a dedicated section accessible from the front of the board’s website—www.rrdsb.com—for ongoing updates.
