Ontario legislation imposing contract on education workers set to pass today

Published November 3, 2022 at 8:15 am

TORONTO — The Ontario government is expected to pass legislation today that will impose a contract on 55,000 education workers ahead of a planned walkout.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees has said the workers will walk off the job Friday and beyond despite the legislation that would make a strike illegal.

The education workers include early childhood educators, educational assistants and custodians.

The Toronto District School Board says it will keep schools closed for the duration of the strike because it can’t ensure schools would remain safe for students and many other school boards across the province plan to close schools or move to remote learning for Friday.

CUPE said it presented a counter-offer late Tuesday, but Education Minister Stephen Lecce said Wednesday that the government will not negotiate unless the union cancels its job action.

The province’s legislation includes a four-year contract and would ban strikes, with steep fines if workers do not comply.