The Ministry of Education is advising Ontario school boards to make “every effort” to keep schools open for as many children as possible ahead of an anticipated strike by tens of thousands of education workers across the province.
In a memo to directors of education obtained by CTV News Toronto, the ministry instructs boards to “support students in a speedy transition to remote learning” if they plan to close for in-person learning due to the withdrawal of services from the 55,000 education workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
“Given the recent announcements by CUPE of their intention to fully withdraw their services in schools on Friday, November 4, 2022, the ministry is asking all school boards to implement contingency plans, where every effort is made to keep schools open for as many children as possible,” it read.
The ministry noted in the memo that schools must remain open to staff expected to attend their workplace as usual to support synchronous online learning.
The instructions from the ministry come on the eve of a strike by CUPE members.
On Thursday, contract talks between the union and the province broke down. Education Minister Stephen Lecce and union representatives traded blame for the failure to reach a collective agreement.
CUPE said its members will be on the picket lines on Friday and will remain on strike indefinitely until a non-legislated contract is reached.
The union added that the passage of Bill 28, which would impose a contract on the workers and ban them from striking, will not deter them despite the hefty fines they could face.
Any worker who walks off the job in contravention of the bill could face fines of up to $4,000 per day. The union, meanwhile, could be fined $500,000 a day.
Lecce, however, has called the upcoming strike “illegal.”
“The ministry asks that school boards continue to implement a multi-pronged communications approach for students, families, staff and partners,” the memo read.
Almost all of the school boards in the Greater Toronto Area will be closed on Friday due to the strike, many citing that they cannot safely operate without their workers who are members of CUPE. The Toronto District School Board said its schools will be closed for the duration of the job action.
Ontario education workers, which include custodians, librarians, early childhood educators, education assistants, and administrative staff, have been without a contract since Aug. 31.
- with files from Katherine DeClerq
