Dozens of Ottawa schools closed today as CUPE education workers begin 'political protest'

Education workers and their supporters are holding a "political protest" in Ottawa and across eastern Ontario on Friday, to protest the Ontario government's move to impose a new contract on union members.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees says its 55,000 members, including early childhood educators, librarians, custodians and other education workers, will be participating in the protest until further notice.

"We love our job, we love our kids, we just wanted to be recognized for what we do," said Monique Natale, an administrative secretary with the Ottawa French public school board. "Unfortunately, unless you work in a school you don't really see what we do."

Natale joined hundreds of CUPE members and supporters for a protest outside the Greenbank Road office of Progressive Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod Friday morning. It's one of five picket locations set up across Ottawa to protest the government's decisionto impose a contract through legislation.

• Here are the plans for Ottawa and eastern Ontario school boards as CUPE begins strike action on Friday

Eight school boards in Ottawa and eastern Ontario have closed schools to in-person learning due to the strike by CUPE members, and all classes are shifting to online learning. Schools remain open from the Ottawa Carleton District School Board, the Ottawa French Catholic school board and the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board.

Contract talks ended on Thursday with no agreement between CUPE and the Ontario government. Hours later, Ontario passed legislation to impose a four-year contract on education workers and made the job action illegal.

"I don't know how long this is going to go, it's really up in the air. I don't feel confident one way or another this won't be our last day I don't think," said Heather Van Olst, an administrative secretary with the Ottawa Catholic School Board.

Signs at the protest read "No Cuts. We won't work for peanuts!" and "CUPE, we keep schools running."

Ottawa Centre NDP MPP Joel Harden tells CTV Morning Live the Ontario government should have negotiated "seriously" with the union.

"These are the lowest paid workers in our public education workers; Custodians, EAs, ECEs, library techs, receptionists – the people who actually keep our kids safe every single day are being bullied by this government, "Harden said. "I’m standing with the people who look after our kids today."

Picket lines are being set up at the following locations in Ottawa today:

• St. Laurent and Cyrville Road
• NDP MPP Chandra Pasma's office at 1580 Merivale Rd.
• PC MPP Lisa MacLeod's office at 250 Greenbank Rd.
• PC MPP Merrilee Fullerton's Office at Eagleson Road and Michael Cowpland Drive
• Liberal MPP Stephen Blais' office at Tenth Line Road and Innes Road

The union says picket lines will be set up from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

CUPE also plans to set up picket lines at several locations across eastern Ontario:

• PC MPP Steve Clark's office on Strowger Boulevard in Brockville
• The Smiths Falls Memorial Centre on Cornelia Street in Smiths Falls
• Liberal MPP Ted Hsu's office on Princess Street in Kingston
• PC MPP Ric Bresee's office on East Street in Napanee
• PC MPP Todd Smith's office in Belleville
• Renfrew Town Hall
• MPP John Yakabuski's office on Isabella Street in Pembroke.

CUPE represents education support staff at three Ottawa school boards. 

The Ottawa Catholic School Board and the Conseil des Ecoles Publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario have said schools will be closed today, and classes will shift to online learning.

"Our students would not be safe to be at school, so (Friday) our students will remain at home. Our staff will connect with them, and find out what logistical challenges they might have," Ottawa Catholic School Board Director of Education Thomas D'Amico said.

"We also know that there will be some parents that will choose not to have their children participate in remote learning, so we'll gather all that information."

D'Amico says today will be used for staff to set up online learning for students, and classes will follow the regular school schedule online on Monday if the strike continues.

"Remote learning starts (Friday) with a check-in, so the educator will connect with the students. It will be asynchronous, which means once they do their check-in they will assign some work that will be done, but not online face-to-face," D'Amico told CTV News Ottawa.

While the Conseil des ecoles catholiques du Centre-Est has 160 CUPE members in its board, all schools will remain open.

The Ottawa Carleton District School Board says all schools will remain open since there are no CUPE members employed by the board.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Tyler Fleming