Peel schools to close, students to learn remotely Friday amid CUPE education workers' protest

The Peel District School Board says all of its school buildings will be closed Friday amid a planned protest by CUPE education workers, with students asked tolearn virtually from home instead.

Theboard joins others including the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) andToronto Catholic District School Board along with boards in Durham and York regionsthat have informedparents that theirschools will close as education workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) embark on strike action on Friday.

A letter sent to families Tuesday evening advised them of the following:

• All students (K-12)will participate inasynchronouslearning at home on Friday. School buildings will be closed to students during this time.

• Teachers and support staff will be available remotelyto support your child(ren) with asynchronous learning.

• Students will log onto their Virtual Learning Environmentsto retrieve assignments and access support from their teacher.

• All child care, EarlyON centres and before andafter-school programs will be closed. All permits will be cancelled.

• International language programsscheduled for Saturday, Nov.5 and Sunday, Nov.6 will be closed.

• Athletic and extracurricular activitiesscheduled for Friday will be cancelled.

• Balanced Calendar schoolswill move forward with their P.A Day on Fridayas scheduled.

55,000 education workers expectedoff the job

CUPEsaid its 55,000 education worker members, includingearly childhood educators, custodians and librarians, willwalk off the job Friday. It's not clear if the walkout would last more than one day.

The union said the walkoutwould go ahead despite the Fordgovernment's move tospeed up passage of theKeeping Students in Class Actthat would impose a contract on the workers.

The government has made known itsintent to usethe notwithstanding clause as part of thebill.The clause allows the legislature to override portions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for a five-year term.

CUPE has said it will explore every avenue to fight the bill, but the government said it intends to use the notwithstanding clause to keep the eventual law in force despite any constitutional challenges.

About 15,000 TDSB employees roughlya third of the board's staff are CUPEemployees,TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird said Tuesday. He said if they walked off the job, it's not possible to operate schools safely.

Should the job action continue beyond Friday, he said, the board would notify parents and students as soon as possible so that they can make alternate arrangements.