Ontario’s largest school board will close its classrooms on Friday as education workers prepare for strike action.
In a statement issued Monday evening, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) said it would close its doors on Friday.
“The Board will have no option but to close all schools for in person learning for all students on Friday November 4, 2022,” TDSB said.
The board said it had “explored every possible contingency plan to keep schools open.”
Some 55,000 workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) are set to walk off the job Friday in a spat over contract negotiations with the Ministry of Education.
The union gave its five-day notice of strike action on Sunday, saying its workers — which include education assistants, caretakers, school secretaries — would strike if a deal with the Ontario government could not be reached.
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The province responded by tabling legislation Monday that, if passed, would make Friday’s strike illegal. Workers found guilty of illegal strike action could be fined up to $4,000 per person.
Despite the new legislation, which MPPs will convene at 5 a.m. Tuesday to debate, CUPE has vowed to go ahead with its planned strike. The union has said it will help members with potential fines.
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In its statement, TDSB said it could not be sure of full safety and supervision for students without CUPE workers.
“Student supervision and safety are our top priorities and without the important services of these school-based employees, we cannot guarantee that our learning environments will remain safe and clean for all students,” the board said.
TDSB said third-party child care operators within its schools will be allowed to stay open between 8 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on Friday.
Toronto’s Catholic school board said on Sunday its schools would close in the event of a strike.
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