Canada’s largest school board says it will keep schools closed for the duration of an Ontario education workers’ strike planned for Friday, which the union has said will continue indefinitely.
The Toronto District School Board says in-person learning will be cancelled as long as Canadian Union of Public Employees workers — such as early childhood educators, educational assistants and custodians — are off the job because it can’t ensure schools will remain safe and clean for students.
Several boards across the province have said they will have to close schools on Friday because they can’t operate safely without the 55,000 workers.
CUPE says the workers plan to be on strike beyond Friday unless a deal is reached.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce says he won’t negotiate further unless the union cancels its strike.
The Ontario government has introduced a bill – expected to pass Thursday – to impose a contract on the education workers and ban them from striking.
Lecce says the government “has no choice” but to proceed with the bill because of CUPE’s strike threat.
The government originally offered raises of two per cent a year for workers making less than $40,000 and 1.25 per cent for all others, but says the new, imposed four-year deal would give 2.5 per cent annual raises to workers making less than $43,000 and 1.5 per cent raises for all others.
CUPE has said that framing is not accurate because the raises actually depend on hourly wages and pay scales, so the majority of workers who earn less than $43,000 in a year wouldn’t get 2.5 per cent.
CUPE has said its workers, which make on average $39,000 a year, are generally the lowest paid in schools and have been seeking annual salary increases of 11.7 per cent.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2022.
