Brandon Grube is in his eighth year teaching. However, the current athletic director and head of the phys ed department at West Ferris Secondary School, is facing uncertainty.
“I am still potentially a redundant and as of now I do not have a job come September 1,” said Grube.
He was one of close to 30 supporters outside the Near North District School Board where a rally and media conference was held in support of those impacted.
Glen Hodgson, OSST District 4 president, says more than 30 Near North high school teachers have not gotten their recalls while some others are being forced to relocate or have a lengthy commute to keep working.
“Many of them have to move to new schools and many of them actually have to move to new communities,” said Hodgson.
“We are now seeing teachers facing a two-hour commute to their workplace as a result of the changes that had to take place in the system as a result of the cuts in public education.”
Hodgson, Grube and a number of other supporters were rallying outside the school board office where the final board meeting of the school year will take place this evening.
Hodgson says both Fedeli and board chair Jay Aspin has re-assured teachers in the region that there would be no layoffs.
“We want to see that accountability and we are very disappointed that this has occurred,” he said.
“We were warning them that there would be job cuts as a result of the cuts to education from the Ford government. We are calling on the government to reverse these cuts as they promised they would and make sure we have these people back doing their jobs.”
At a press conference earlier today, Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli responded to the union claims.
“They also said over 121 were going to be fired and they were wrong about that as well,” Fedeli noted about being questioned about the 30 potential job losses.
“I have said to them in the past, the administration has said to them in the past, stop with the fear mongering and let’s wait until all of the numbers are in.”
