Some students with disabilities will be without workers on Friday if job action proceeds

Families who depend on education assistants to help children with disabilities at the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board may not have them this Friday despite anti-strike legislation introduced by the province Monday.

"Personally, I feel it's a little unsafe for children like mine who require a little bit of extra help," said Megan Ball Rigden, who has two children with autism who attend St. Rose catholic school.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents education workers excluding teachers — such as secretaries, custodians and education assistants — says workers will walk off the job on Friday.

The move is in response to the government's plan to use legislation to avert a strike and impose a contract on workers. Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the government had "no other choice" but to introduce the legislation after its latest offer was rejected.

• Ontario government tables legislation to prevent strike by CUPE education workers
• Ontario education workers will walk off the job Friday despite anti-strike legislation, CUPE says

CUPE represents about 600 workers at the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB), but not the education assistants and early childhood educators.

At the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, however, education assistants and early childhood educators are part of the union.

Ball Rigden says it will be very difficult for her children without the help of their education assistants, though she sympathizes with the education workers as well.

"Unfortunately myself, I'm medically vulnerable right now to infection, so keeping a mask on for them is really key to our whole family health, not just theirs," she said. 

"Washing hands after certain activities is also super important for them and just having guidance to get through their day without those EAs, they can't do that. "

The GECDSB said that it is working on a contingency plan, that schools will be open on Friday and that parents should check the website for more information. 

The Catholic school board told CBC News that it too is working on a contingency plan and whether the schools will remain open will depend on what happens this week.

Union, province at odds over pay

The main disagreement between the two sides has to do with yearly pay increases.

The government had been offering raises of two per cent a year for workers making less than $40,000 and 1.25 per cent for all others. Lecce said the new, 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 its workers, which make on average $39,000 a year, are generally the lowest paid in schools and the union has been seeking annual salary increases of 11.7 per cent.   

Fred Hahn, the president of CUPE Ontario, said the government has employed "the nuclear option."

"It is a monstrous overreach," he said.