As the fighting continues between Ontario's education workers and the Ford government, students are the ones that are going to get caught in the middle.

CUPE said in a statement Thursday that education workers will be going on strike Friday after mediated talks fell apart and that the "Ford Conservative government would not make the necessary investments"

Following that statement, Education Minister Stephen Lecce held a news conference at Queen's Park, calling Friday's threat of strike action "illegal."

"We will use every tool we have to end their disruption," said Lecce.

While Friday's strike action is now confirmed, it remains unclear how long the strike could last.

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has confirmed it will close its schools for in-person learning Friday, anticipating that custodians, admin workers and education support staff won't be on the job.

It is one of several boards to do this.

In a statement, it said the strike leaves it with "no option but to close".

"This is not a decision that we take lightly and we have explored every possible contingency plan to keep schools open," the statement reads. "Student supervision and safety are our top priorities and without the important services of these school-based employees, we cannot guarantee that our learning environments will remain safe and clean for all students."

Education workers plan to strike Friday, despite legislation meant to prevent a strike and mandate a new four-year contract that their union hasn't agreed to.

The 'Keeping Students in Class Act' also states workers could face fines of up to $4,000 a day if they go on strike.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.