Teachers on the islands and in the rest of the province will be walking the picket lines starting Friday morning, after voting to walk out and stay out until their demands are met.
"We have served notice to the school district the teachers will not be at work from Friday onwards," QC District Teachers' Association president Duncan White told the Observer Thursday morning. "The teachers are making sure loose ends are wrapped up at the schools and preparing to go on picket line duty from Friday onwards," he said.
Teachers are angry about a government-imposed contract settlement that gives them no wage increase. They voted over 90-percent province-wide on Wednesday to stage the illegal walkout starting Friday.
Teachers are looking for an acceptable resolution to the issues of class size, the restoration of bargaining rights, as well as a salary increase.
There are about 65 teachers on the islands who will be on strike Friday. They wouldn't have been at work anyway on Friday, as it is a district-wide professional development day. And since Monday is a holiday, the strike won't have much of an effect on the islands until Tuesday morning.
Superintendent Mike Woods said district officials are working on contingency plans Thursday, and hope to have more information for parents soon.
"We are working on that right now," he said, "as soon as we know, you'll know".
Mr. Woods expected more information Thursday afternoon.
We'll post information on this website as we receive it throughout the day.