A union representing 55,000 Ontario education workers who walked off the job Friday says protest sites "will be collapsed starting" Tuesday in response to Premier Doug Ford saying he will repeal legislation that imposed a contract and banned them from striking.
Representatives from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said at a news conference Monday that Ford had put his commitment in writing, and that both sides would restart contract negotiations. Leaders from numerous other public- and private-sector unions were also in attendance.
A statement from Minister of Education Stephen Lecce confirmed that the government will repeal Bill 28 "in its entirety." The law included the notwithstanding clause to circumvent any constitutional challenge to the legislation. The clause allows legislatures to override parts of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for a five-year term.
"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," Lecce said.
The legislature is not currently sitting, so MPPs would need to be called back early for the law to be repealed this week.
Ford announced earlier in the day that he was willing to repeal the law, but only if CUPE ends its walkout, which has closed hundreds of schools for in-person learning across the province.
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