Rainbow District School Board to resume in-person classes on Monday

In-person classes at the Rainbow District School Board will resume on Monday, the school board has confirmed in a letter to parents.

In-person classes at northern Ontario's largest school board which has English public schools in Sudbury, Espanola and Manitoulin Island were cancelled on Friday due to job action from unions that represent custodians and educational assistants.

While the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents custodians at the school board, plans to continue its strike into next week, unless it reaches an agreement with the province over the weekend, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) has said its workers will return to work.

OPSEU represents educational assistants at the school board, who walked off the job Friday in solidarity with their colleagues.

CUPE employees walked off the job to protest the province's use of the notwithstanding clause to prevent them from striking, with the threat of fines up to $4,000 per day, and impose a collective agreement.

The union has said some workers only make $39,000 per year and need wage increases to keep up with inflation.

"We need better working conditions," said Payton Mills, an educational assistant who was out on the picket line in Sudbury on Friday.

"We all want them safe and in school, and that's why we're here. No cuts to education."

Custodian Jennifer Capin said they want better wages and for their "sick leave to be left alone."

"We want to be able to provide for our families," she said.

In northeastern Ontario the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board, the Northeastern Catholic District School Board and the Conseil Scolaire public du Nord Est were closed to in-person learning on Friday.

CBC News has not received updates if they will re-open on Monday.