The Limestone District School Board says it will move to remote learning if Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) education workers walk out of schools on Friday.
With time running out, threats of a walkout have left local parents scrambling.
“It’s gonna be a juggling act again,” said Christine Law, a parent who lives in Kingston, Ont.
It’s looking more and more like this Friday, students will once again be out of the classroom.
This time, instead of COVID-19, it’s a labour dispute sending young people back to online learning.
The union representing Ontario education workers, including early childhood educators, librarians, custodians and school administration staff, have said they will walk off the job despite the provincial government trying to force a contract agreement.
It means parents are left once again to figure out how to make it all work.
“I’ll have to switch to remote working at home which I’m in a position I can do. I’m not going to be kidding though, it is difficult,” said Jamie McKenzie-Naish, also a parent.
On Monday, the LDSB issued a notice that schools in the region would not be able to operate without the 1,100 support staff workers and would move to emergency online learning in the event of a strike Nov. 4.
“We did it during COVID. I survived that, my family survived that, we’ll survive again, and hopefully there will be a positive outcome at the end for everyone involved,” added McKenzie-Naish.
Laura Walton, CUPE president of Ontario School Board Council of Unions, said Wednesday that the planned strike would be continued indefinitely.
It likely means an open-ended stint of remote learning, something parents are familiar with.
“I’ll just take it as Friday comes and then Monday morning if we’re still at home I’ll just sort of figure it out as we go then,” said Law.
Whether the government and union can figure out how to avoid a prolonged closure of schools is another thing.
The union says it wants to get back to the bargaining table but the government won’t hear their new proposals unless they promise to cancel Friday’s strike action.
It’s a game of chicken that has parents and students waiting to see what happens if neither side hits the brakes.