At least two Ontario school boards confirm they would close if full education workers strike happens

At least two Ontario school boards have now confirmed that schools will close in the event of a full strike by education workers.

The approximately 55,000 members represented by CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions will be in a legal strike position as of 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 3.

The union will, however, have to provide five days notice of any potential strike, likely pushing back any work stoppage.

So far most public school boards have been tight-lipped about what impact, if any, a potential strike would have on in-person learning.

But in separate communications sent to parents on Friday, both the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board and the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic District School Board confirmed that they would be unable to keep school buildings open if CUPE members all walk off the job at once.

The news comes shortly after CUPE Ontario School Board Council of Unions President Laura Walton told CP24 that members are likely to engage in a full strike rather than work-to-rule action if talks with the Ministry of Education continue to go nowhere.

“At 12:01 a.m. if we are in a full strike position, there will not be custodians to even change the garbage, educational assistants will not be in schools, early childhood educators, secretaries, IT, anyone who is covered by CUPE (will walk off the job),” Walton said during an interview earlier in the day. “The goal is to have a deal but in the absence of a deal it would look like a full strike, yes.”

CUPE began participating in talks with a neutral mediator last week but the sessions broke down after just two days.

The talks are now scheduled to resume on Tuesday, leaving just two full days of negotiations before both the union and the government are in a legal strike/lockout position.

The union is asking for a yearly wage increase of $3.25/hour (11.7 per cent), early childhood educators in every kindergarten class, five additional paid days before the start of the school year and 30 minutes of daily prep time for all its members.

The Ford government, meanwhile, has offered a four-year deal that includes a two per cent annual raise for workers who make under $40,000 and a 1.25 per cent yearly wage increase for those who make more than that.

Walton said that she believes the ministry would try to keep schools open in the event of job action, however she said that she is skeptical about whether that can be done successfully.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce has previously described his government’s offers as “reasonable” and has urged CUPE to come forward with a counterproposal that is more “affordable and fair” than what they have submitted to date.

“We still can land a deal. It requires us to be reasonable," Lecce told CTV News Toronto last week. "We want the union to come to the table with something that is affordable and fair that keeps kids in school."

In a statement provided to CP24 on Friday, the Toronto District School Board said that it is “not in a position to speculate on what strike action – if any – may be taken” as well as what impact that would have on schools.

“We continue to be hopeful that all sides will be able to reach a collective agreement that avoids any impacts to classrooms,” the statement reads.

CUPE is one of five education sector unions currently without a contract in Ontario.

Its members voted 96.5 per cent in favour of a strike mandate earlier this month.