Ontario education workers issue 5-day strike notice before negotiations resume

The union representing about 55,000 Ontario education workers has given five days’ notice of a potential provincewide strike.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents staff including educational assistants, custodians and early childhood educators, says a strike could start as soon as Friday.

A union spokesperson says education workers will fully withdraw their services if a deal isn’t reached with the provincial government.

Two Ontario school boards have said they will close schools if education workers go on a full strike.

Negotiations between the union and the province are scheduled to resume on Tuesday after sessions with a mediator last week broke down