Ontario’s Ministry of Education is telling school boards ahead of an education worker strike Friday to make “every effort” to keep schools open and otherwise pivot to remote learning.
The government is expected to pass a bill today that would impose a contract on the workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees and ban them from striking, with steep fines if they don’t comply.
But CUPE has said its workers, including educational assistants, custodians and administrative staff, will start a strike Friday “until further notice,” even if the legislation passes and makes a walkout illegal.
Many school boards across the province, including the Toronto District School Board, have said schools will be closed during a strike, while others plan to move to remote learning.
The Ministry of Education now says in a memo obtained by The Canadian Press that school boards should “implement contingency plans, where every effort is made to keep schools open for as many children as possible.”
If boards determine they can’t safely open schools without the CUPE members, the ministry says “school boards must support students in a speedy transition to remote learning.”
(The Canadian Press)
