Northern Ontario's largest school board to close schools on Friday due to planned job action

Northern Ontario's largest school board told parents classes will now be cancelled on Friday due to work action from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

In a letter to parents, Rainbow District School Board director of education Bruce Bourget said they will have to close their schools on Friday because workers with the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) are walking off the job in solidarity with their CUPE colleagues.

Other northeastern Ontario school boards, including Huron-Superior Catholic, Northeastern District Catholic and Conseil Scolaire public du Nord Est will also be closed for in-person learning on Friday.

OPSEU represents educational assistants with the school board, while CUPE represents custodial and maintenance staff.

"Given that we are without the services of more than 425 staff members tomorrow, we can no longer ensure the health and safety of students," Bourget said in his letter to parents.

Around 55,000 CUPE members across Ontario will take job action on Friday in response to the province's plans to use the notwithstanding clause to prevent them from legally striking.

CUPE members like Trevor Russell, a custodian at Silver Birches Elementary School in North Bay, have said using the notwithstanding clause violates workers' rights.

At issue for the union is wages that are as low as $39,000 a year.

Russell said some members now struggle to keep up with rising inflation.

The province originally offered raises of two per cent a year for workers making less than $40,000 and 1.25 per cent for all others, but says the new, imposed four-year deal would give 2.5 per cent annual raises to workers making less than $43,000 and 1.5 per cent raises for all others.

CUPE has said that framing is not accurate because the raises actually depend on hourly wages and pay scales, so the majority of workers who earn less than $43,000 in a year wouldn't get 2.5 per cent.

The union gave the government a counter offer late Tuesday, but Education Minister Stephen Lecce said Wednesday that he won't negotiate with the union unless it cancels its plans to strike on Friday.

Under the proposed legislation, which the province expects to pass today, workers who walk off the job could be fined up to $4,000 per day.