At a press conference, Education Minister Steven Lecce said the government was making “a good faith effort” but the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) would not back down and take the threat of a strike off the table. “For the sake of Ontario’s two million students, to keep classrooms open, CUPE left us with no choice but to pass the Keeping (Students) in Classroom Act,” he said. Lecce’s comments came shortly after the union’s negotiating committee announced that mediation had come to an end. “This afternoon we were informed that the mediation has been concluded,” the negotiating committee said. “It is clear that this government never intended to negotiate. The time and effort they spent on Bill 28, which takes away the rights of education workers, should have been spent on a deal that would respect workers and ensure the services students desperately need.” Bill 28 uses the non-applicability clause to legislate a four-year contract on workers while preventing them from taking action. The bill was introduced on Monday and is expected to be voted on later today. The union said that despite the legislation, its members will participate in a province-wide strike “until further notice”, starting on Friday. However, Lecce said that “if they go ahead with it, it will be illegal”. “We will use every tool at our disposal to end the disruption.” Part of those tools include hefty fines for those who defy Bill 28, including fines of up to $4,000 for individuals who strike and $500,000 for unions that organize them. This is breaking news. More information to follow.
