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Toronto's Catholic elementary teachers pause plans to strike as negotiations continue

A grade six class room is shown at Hunter's Glen Junior Public School which is part of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Scarborough, Ont., on Monday, September 14, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette A grade six class room is shown at Hunter's Glen Junior Public School which is part of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Scarborough, Ont., on Monday, September 14, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
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The union representing Toronto’s Catholic elementary teachers says it has decided not to go ahead with its plans to strike on Monday.

In a statement posted to social media, Toronto Elementary Catholic Teachers’ union said that the decision to delay the full withdrawal of service is a “show of good faith” and a result of constructive dialogues with the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

Earlier today, the school board said it is seeking information on how many of their elementary schools will be forced to close due to the planned strike on Monday.

On Tuesday night, Toronto’s Catholic elementary teachers handed the board formal notice of their plans to conduct a full strike at one or more schools on Jan. 31 if a tentative agreement is not reached beforehand.

If the job action was to take place next week, teachers would have not reported to work and full school closures would have taken place as a result, the board said. 

The board said that the strike is tied to two key issues. One relates to improving staff attendance and the other involves the handling of classroom assignments.

However, the union said that their members have been without a contract since September, 2019 and the board is using the “cover of the pandemic” to make “regressive demands” at the bargaining table.

The board said in a statement on Friday night that it will continue to ask the union to provide five-days notice on which schools will be impacted and when should there be future job action.

“We continue to engage in ongoing and constructive dialogue this evening and over the weekend and remain committed to reaching a fair and just agreement,” the board said. 

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