Support staff in most school boards across the province say they will walk off the job Friday, defying legislation introduced by the education minister to avert a strike while imposing a four-year contract on them.
School support staff across the province say they will walk off the job Friday, defying legislation introduced by the education minister to avert a strike while also imposing a four-year contract on them.
The protest would leave hundreds of thousands of students in the GTA out of school, with both the Toronto public and Catholic boards cancelling in-person learning for the day.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees called for the job action after the government introduced back-to-work legislation that included the Constitution’s notwithstanding clause to override the Charter of Rights — and despite the hefty fines that could come with such a strike.
It is unclear if the 55,000 CUPE members — who work in most boards across the province — will continue to protest beyond Friday given the job action comes at a steep price: a $4,000 fine per worker for each day off work, plus a $500,000 daily fine for the union. The union has said it will cover members’ fines, which could total $220 million a day.
