THUNDER BAY -- The Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board says it will lock out elementary teachers indefinitely if a deal isn't reached and educators follow through on a threat to stage a second series of rotating strikes.
The lockout would take effect on Tuesday, if triggered.
"We need a resolution to these ongoing disruptions so we can get back to full programming for your children. We cannot do that in the face of rotating strikes, ongoing work-to-rule campaigns and the distraction they create from the education of our students," the board's director of education Pino Tassone and chair Bob Hupka said in a joint letter sent to parents on Friday.
'We will continue to work hard to reach an agreement today. If we cannot and the union commences its strike on Monday ... the board will lock out all elementary school teachers on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017 until further notice. During a lockout schools will be closed to students and teachers."
Teachers are at odds with the board over its internal hiring policy and have been in a legal strike position since last June. They've been on work-to-rule sanctions since last fall.
The Thunder Bay unit of the Ontario Elementary Catholic Teachers' Association notified school board officials they plan to strike on Monday at three schools, St. Bernard, St. Paul and St. Francis.
