Board Authorizes Lockout if Deemed Necessary

February 19, 2025 – In response to the recent ‘work-to-rule’ job action initiated by Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 5543, the Parkland School Division (PSD) Board of Trustees voted to equip the Division with labour action countermeasures aimed at maintaining consistent educational services for all students.

At the PSD Regular Board meeting on Tuesday, February 18th, the Board approved two key recommendations:

That the Board of Trustees approves of taking lockout action as per the Labour Relations Code, to be potentially utilized within the next 120 days. 

This measure is intended to preserve the stability of school operations, ensuring that students, especially those requiring specialized support, continue to receive uninterrupted services. This was followed immediately by the following:

That the Board of Trustees only authorize a lockout if the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 5543 strike action jeopardizes the safety of students or results in operationally untenable circumstances. 

This provision ensures that any decision to implement a lockout will be carefully considered and only enacted in situations where student safety or school operations are negatively impacted to the point of unsustainability. 

These decisions are aligned with common labour negotiation practices, focusing on sustaining a stable learning environment during periods of labour unrest.

Board Chair Lorraine Stewart emphasized the Board's commitment to student welfare.

"Our foremost priority is the well-being and continuous support of our students. In light of the current labour action, we are implementing these measures to ensure that all students, particularly those with complex needs, experience minimal disruption to their education and support services.

Students with complex needs, such as those requiring one-on-one educational assistance, speech therapy, or behavioral support, depend on consistent routines and trusted relationships with support staff. Unpredictable absences due to labour actions can lead to significant challenges, including increased anxiety and setbacks in their educational progress.”

In an educational setting, a lockout would typically be in response to labour action initiated by the workforce that is too disruptive for students, especially for those students with complex needs. One example where a lockout would operationally make sense for a school division is if the union initiated a strike action where their membership would strike for only part of the day or alternatively, rotating strikes which would leave gaps in necessary student support depending on the union’s strike campaign.

The Board acknowledges the sensitive nature of labour disputes and remains hopeful for a swift and amicable resolution as negotiations are scheduled for Thursday February 20th and Friday, February 21st.

For ongoing updates and information, stakeholders are encouraged to visit PSD’s Labour Action Update page on psd.ca.