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Parents urged to make contingency plan for one-day OCDSB strike Wednesday

By Jeff Morris

Manotick Messenger

Parents of students at South Carleton High School and its family of feeder elementary and middle schools in Rideau-Goulbourn are being warned to have a contingency plan for a one-day teachers strike Wednesday.

In case of a strike, Ottawa Carleton District School Board trustees voted Monday night to close its schools for the day. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation has threatened a one-day strike if a deal is not reached with the province.

The strike would be the first general strike in Ontario since 1997, when Progressive Conservative Mike Harris was Premier.

The unions are pushing back against proposed larger class sizes, funding cuts, a law limiting wage increases for Ontario public servants to one per cent, and mandatory online courses for secondary school students.

The OSSTF represents staff at both secondary and elementary schools. They include teachers, educational workers and assistants, office workers and custodians.

The OCDSB said a final decision on the proposed one-day strike will be made Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. If there is, as expecgted, a strike, schools will be closed. Schools in the Ottawa Cathilic School Board are not affected.