The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board is responding to allegations by the union representing striking support staff.
Unifor 2458 says it has made no such deal with the board when it comes to speeding the flow of traffic through the picket line outside area schools.
Around 3pm Monday, the Catholic board sent out a public notification saying "it has received notification from the union that it will allow five cars to cross the picket lines every 10 minutes and will not be holding cars until 8am."
The board has released a statement this morning that says "our board received verbal notification from the Windsor Police Service yesterday that Unifor had indicated it would begin allowing five cars across picket lines every 10 minutes, an arrangement they are now denying."
The board statement goes on to say "part of this union's strategy all along has been to create pandemonium and chaos in our schools in order to force their closure, and force an agreement - and they are doing that at the expense of student learning. Our board's preference all along has been to get a locally negotiated agreement. If the union is that committed to getting an agreement, they should provide a formal written counter proposal to the offer that we tabled on October 7th, and provide the conciliator a reason to call both sides back to the bargaining table."
In response to that statement, Unifor Local 2458 President Bruce Dickie told AM800's 'The Lynn Martin Show" that when the board put on their website that we're not holding cars until 8am that was strictly designed to get people there early enough to create chaos at the picket line."
Dickie says "picketing will continue 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If they arrive early they just won't be allowed in. That's only happening for students and some select E-A's"
This is day 9 in the strike.