The Canadian Union of Public Employees, representing 55,000 Ontario education workers who walked off the job Friday, says it will end its strike after Premier Doug Ford agreed to repeal the legislation that imposed a contract on them and banned their right to strike.
Earlier Monday morning, Ford held a news conference at Queen’s Park, stating they’d pull Bill 28, if CUPE would end its strike.
In a noon hour press conference, Belleville’s Laura Walton, President of CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions, said protest sites will be collapsed starting Tuesday and employees will return to work.
“We hope that this gesture is met with the same good faith by this government in a new proposal at the bargaining table as soon as possible. And I will be clear, we’re here waiting right now. The time is ticking.”
Walton adds it is not up to them if school will resume for students on Tuesday but that school boards will make that decision and will inform parents and students.
The Minister of Education released a statement shortly after CUPE’s announcement:
“CUPE has agreed to withdraw their strike action and come back to the negotiating table. In return, at the earliest opportunity, we will revoke Bill 28 in its entirety and be at the table so that kids can return to the classroom after two difficult years. As we have always said and called for, kids need to be back in the classroom, where they belong.”
