OPSEU education workers to walk out in solidarity with CUPE

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union says its 8,000 education workers will walk off the job Friday in solidarity with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, whose 55,000 education workers are set to strike.

OPSEU represents education workers such as educational assistants and early childhood educators at several boards in the province.

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Their largest contingent of members are in the Peel District School Board and the York Region District School Board.

OPSEU president JP Hornick says legislation the Ontario government is expected to pass today that would impose a contract on CUPE education workers and ban them from striking is an attack on all workers' bargaining rights.

The Toronto District School Board has said 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 other 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.

• These schools will close for Ontario's education worker walkout on Friday

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2022.