Press Release
The Rainy River District School Board has offered binding arbitration to settle its dispute with local high school teachers, who have been without a contract for almost 20 months.
In an open letter to OSSTF District 5B, board chair Dianne McCormack requested the two parties “resolve this serious and most unfortunate labour situation.”
The teachers have been engaged in a selective withdrawal of services since December, but increased their job action to include a full withdrawal of services—one day per week—at the end of April.
“The students, our youth, are truly innocent in the process, undeserving of missed opportunities,” McCormack wrote.
“The effects on students of this labour unrest are real and will become even greater the longer it drags on,” she noted.
“It is time to stop pointing fingers at who is or who is not responsible for our lack of a local agreement and instead put our students first, put their interests before ours, ahead of our roles as politicians or elected Federation representatives, and first before the public exchange of who is or is not ‘serious’ about reaching a local deal,” McCormack stressed.
She noted the current state of affairs is doing nothing to move negotiations forward.
“To move us away from this impasse, something has to change,” McCormack wrote, recommending they move forward by allowing an arbitrator to resolve their differences.
She added she believes this offer is fair for teachers and the board, as well as for students and their parents.
“We clearly need to have a neutral outside party impartially decide what is fair in order to bring back a peaceful, supportive environment for both staff and students,” she said.
“I can personally attest to the fact that the board is ready and willing to act in the interest of labour peace, and sincerely hope you are ready and willing to act in that interest, as well,” McCormack wrote.
“I therefore ask the Federation leadership and members to agree to binding arbitration and to pause the disruption of student learning while we go through the process.”
OSSTF was preparing a response to the board’s letter this morning, but it was not available as of press time.
“Rest assured that, regardless of the response to this request, marks will be provided at the end of the school year and administration will provide the additional necessary support for graduation ceremonies to take place,” a notice to parents indicated.
The teachers’ next planned strike action is slated for this Wednesday (May 11).
