OTTAWA -  More than 48,000 students are missing class as their nearly 3,000 teachers stage a one-day walkout.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board says all elementary schools in the district are closed.

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario has warned of rotating strikes across the province, which the union says are to protest new legislation that gives the government the power to stop strikes and impose collective agreements.  All school boards are being given three days notice before any walkouts.

Parents across the city scrambled to find alternate childcare arrangements. A number of one-day camps have been setup across the city at Scotiabank Place, YMCA and community centres across the city.

Picket lines have been set up at some schools, the Premier’s and other MPP offices and the OCDSB Board office on Greenbank Road.

Ottawa-Carleton Elementary School Teachers Federation President Peter Giuliani told 1310News the union won’t stop secondary students from getting into class.

“Our guiding principle is that you don’t engage students at the picket line,” said Giuliani. “We also understand that it’s entirely conceivable that some students might ask to join the picket line, in which case, it’s the administrator of the school who has to deal with those students.”

“We’re gonna have a lawful picket and obviously we’re gonna let any student through immediately.”

Guiliani said he expects most union members to take part in the demonstrations.

Elementary teachers with the OCDSB are part of the third group of teachers to walk out of class for the day, and will be joined by teachers in Belleville and Thunder Bay.

On Thursday, teachers in the Renfrew District School Board leave the classroom with employees in the York Region, Muskoka and Haliburton. The rotating one-day strikes began on Monday in the Avon Maitland and Ontario North East school boards.