As of this morning, some boards are keeping their schools closed.
The Huron Superior Catholic School Board says its schools will remain closed until there is more information from the striking CUPE and OPSEU workers.
The board plans to move to virtual learning and provide equipment this week.
Rainbow District School Board says it will reopen its schools today after closing them on the day of action on Friday.
Algoma Public School Board keeps its schools open and will continue maintaining classroom spaces as best they can.
Conseil scolaire Catholique Nouvelon has kept its schools open.
All parents accessing childcare are asked to call their childcare provider to see if services are available and to keep up to date by visiting their respective school sites.
There is a possibility that labour partners’ status may change depending on what is happening at the provincial level and so all boards continue to monitor the situation.
Meanwhile, the union representing 55-thousand educational support staff says they’ll be holding a news conference today, along with representatives of several other labour organizations.
According to the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the topic will be what it calls the “growing fight” against the Ford government’s legislation ordering employees back to their jobs.
The two sides spent the weekend arguing their case before the Ontario Labour Relations Board.
The government is seeking a declaration that the strike is illegal since back-to-work legislation was passed last week.
Such a declaration would allow the government to begin issuing fines.
But the union says it’s not a strike, it’s a political protest against the government for imposing a contract and using the notwithstanding clause to remove any chance of court appeals.
The board hasn’t said when it would release its decision.
A new poll shows the Ford government isn’t winning the public relations battle in its dispute with educational support workers.
The survey, conducted Friday and Saturday by Abacus Data, shows 62 percent of Ontarians blame the government for the strike and the subsequent shutdown of many schools.
Half believe it was wrong to use the notwithstanding clause to eliminate the union’s right to court appeals.
More than 70 percent say the government should sit down and negotiate a deal, rather than continue its current course.
And 48 percent of those surveyed would support other unions joining the walkout, 33 percent oppose the idea.
