Striking school transportation workers to info-picket Education minister tomorrow

NORTH BAY, Ont. – Striking school transportation workers and local supporters will hold an information picket outside a dinner organized for Ontario minister of Education Gerard Kennedy, on Thursday, October 13th, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, outside the Best Western, in North Bay. The workers want to highlight issues in the month-old strike by members of Local 1165-6 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing three transportation technicians who plan and ensure bus routing and transportation services for the Near North District School Board, the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board, Le Conseil scolaire de district du Nord-Est de l’Ontario, and the Conseil scolaire Franco-Nord.

The workers, on strike since September 19th to fight management concession demands, are employed by a transportation consortium, Student Transportation Services Nipissing Parry Sound, providing transportation services to all four area school boards. They will ask the minister to impress upon local school boards the importance of settling this strike.

Who?  Striking Student Transportation Services workers,
CUPE 1165 members and supporters from other labour and community groups

What? Information picket at Gerard Kennedy dinner
(Members of Local 1165-6 have been on strike since Sept. 19th)
  
When? 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Thursday, October 13th, 2005

Where? Quality Inn
700 Lakeshore Drive, North Bay

-30-

For further information, please contact:

Michelle Loiselle           Robert Lamoureux
CUPE Nat. Rep.            CUPE Comm.
705-561-9076             416-292-3999

COPE 491/gpb