Judge sets limits on pickets

Striking support staff for WindsorEssex Catholic School Board won’t be able to stop anyone trying to enter school property 20 minutes before the bell rings, a judge ruled Thursday.

They also won’t be able to hold school administrative and teaching staff for more than a minute between 7:30 a.m. and that 20-minute deadline, according to a court order issued by Superior Court Justice Kirk Munroe after more than an hour of deliberation.

Outside of that time frame, cars containing school staff can’t be held for more than five minutes and school buses, parents, students and emergency vehicles can’t be delayed at all, the ruling states.

At the end of the day, pickets will be allowed to delay cars for up to three minutes.

Munroe made his decision after submissions from lawyers representing both the board and Unifor Local 2458, whose members have been on strike since Oct. 17.

Outside the courthouse, board spokesman Stephen Fields said he was “very pleased” with the ruling.

“We appreciate the right of organized labour groups to go on strike,” he said. “But ... let’s not drag the students and teachers into it. Let them get into their classrooms and let them get the education they’re entitled to.”

According to the board, support staff pickets caused up to five-hour delays as students and teachers were held up in long lines of cars.

Unifor Local 2458 president Bruce Dickie said the union would comply with the court order.

“Our position was that we have a constitutional right to picket and give information and the judge didn’t see it that way,” he said. “We’re going to continue our constitutional right to picket within the judge’s order.”