Ottawa Valley hit by one-day school strike

Students in Renfrew, Arnprior, Pembroke and other Ottawa Valley communities are staying home from school today as elementary teachers in the Renfrew County District School Board take their turn on the picket line.

"All elementary schools will be closed to students," the Renfrew County District School Board saidon its website Thursday.

"Parents should make alternate childcare arrangements for the day as elementary students will not be able to attend school," the statement said, adding that there would be no elementary school bus service.

Ottawa public elementary school teachers, meanwhile, were returning to the classroom this morning.

Strike moving across Ontario

Hundreds of teachers formed picket lines across the city on Wednesday in a one-day strike that's moving across the province.

The Upper Canada District School Board has yet to give notice of a walkout there.

Bargaining between the teachers and the local school board continues.

In September, Premier Dalton McGuintys Liberal government passed Bill 115, which would force a contract on teachers if an agreement cannot be reached between the province and the union before Dec. 31.

The legislation also gives the government power to end a strike.

However, Education Minister Laurel Broten said the government would not impose back-to-work edicts with respect to the one-day rolling strikes.

The public teachers' union is giving at least 72 hours notice of any rotating strike.