Some 55,000 unionized school custodians, office staff, early childhood educators, and education assistants are gearing up for job action next week.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees members, who recently voted 93 per cent in favour of a strike, will give school boards across Ontario the requisite five-day notice on Wednesday.

“On Sept. 30, we will be in a legal strike position,” Laura Walton, president of CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions, said in an interview Tuesday.

“We will be working to rule. We will not be going into a full strike,” said Walton, adding the employees will no longer being doing any “unpaid work.”

Parents and students will notice that because 80 per cent of the union members, who make an average of $38,000 a year, perform tasks considered unpaid, such as sweeping school hallways due to cuts by both the current Progressive Conservative government and the previous Liberal administration.

“People who earn $38,000 a year are not the cause of the deficit,” she said.

“These are pressure tactics. We’re hoping that this will be enough of a pressure.”

The labour action will affect nearly every publicly funded school in Ontario.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce expressed disappointment that contract talks were no longer ongoing with the union.

“Earlier today, after talks broke off with CUPE and the employers over the weekend, CUPE announced their intent to give notice to strike,” said Lecce.

“Our government remains focused on keeping kids in the classroom and delivering a deal that gives students and parents predictability and certainty. This will not change,” he said.

“I urge CUPE and the employers to come back to the table and direct their efforts toward reaching a deal as quickly possible. Our government remains available at any time to restart talks with CUPE and keep students in school. Kids and parents deserve no less.”

Federal Conservatives are worried that any job action blamed on Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives could taint Andrew Scheer’s candidates in Ontario in the Oct. 21 election.

Indeed, CUPE’s Walton said members were “definitely” aware of the timing of their move.

“We know that we have an opportunity there for some movement,” she said.

Green Leader Mike Schreiner said Ford needs to “change the policy of increased class sizes and cuts to education.”

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“I support teachers and education support staff, who are standing up for kids and for high-quality education,” said Schreiner.

“We know that cuts hurt kids. And I respect the right of teachers and education support staff to collective bargaining and labour action in order to defend quality education.”

Robert Benzie is the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie

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