WATERLOO REGION - Almost 50 local Catholic schools will close Monday if support staff go on strike to press their labour demands.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board says it "would not be able to safely operate our schools" without 1,100 employees such as educational assistants, early childhood educators, technicians and clerical staff.

A surprised local union leader argues the board could keep schools open for some time after support staff strike.

That's partly because teachers and custodians, who are not members of the affected union local (CUPE Local 2512), could still teach children and clean schools.

"I'm sad that they would not continue to deliver curriculum to the students," said Joanne Delaney-Fraser, local president for Catholic support staff who belong to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

"We certainly at no point in time told them that they need to close the schools," she said. "I do think it's overreacting. I do hope they're not using it as a ploy to get parents upset with the union, as opposed to upset with the government."

CUPE members who work at Ontario schools launched a provincewide but partial job action Monday, withdrawing certain administrative supports. The impact on local families was minimal.

On Wednesday the union provided notice that its 55,000 members will walk off the job Monday across Ontario, if no collective agreement is reached by then with the provincial government.

Local public schools are unaffected. There are no CUPE members employed by the Waterloo Region District School Board.

The Catholic board operates 48 schools and teaches 23,600 students, just over one in four publicly-funded students in this region.

The board sent a note home to parents Wednesday, urging them to plan for child care and reminding them that negotiations are a provincial matter.

"Since there is a possibility that schools may be closed for an indefinite period of time, we recommend that you immediately begin making alternate plans for the care of your children, in the event that the strike proceeds," the board told parents.

The board told parents it does "not currently control the decisions regarding the strike or its remedy."

Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce said he's ready to resume bargaining. "We were close and I believe we can get this deal done soon," he said. "I remain determined to reach a deal."

He called the labour dispute a "regrettable situation and unnecessary disruption for students."

Lecce has said that controlling the cost of rising absenteeism is a key issue in negotiations.

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Over four years at the Catholic board, educational assistants have almost doubled their average days off sick, while early childhood educators are taking almost four times as many sick days.

The board has seen salaries paid to sick employees rise by one-third, adding $2.3 million in annual costs. The increase includes CUPE members and salary costs for sick teachers, custodians and other board employees.

"They need to figure out why we're calling in sick and why we're not in school, not penalize us for being sick," Delaney-Fraser said.

She argues employees are calling in sick more often over violence in schools, the stress of being overworked, and the stress of not having enough supports.

Delaney-Fraser said the union is fighting for job security for members who earn $38,000 a year, on average.

jouthit@therecord.com

Twitter: @OuthitRecord

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