The Ford government has announced that it intends to recall the Legislature to introduce back-to-work legislation to ensure that Ontario Power Generation (OPG) workers remain on the job.
OPG received strike notice from the Power Workers' Union (PWU) on Friday, which immediately begins a 21-day shutdown of OPG's nuclear reactors at Darlington and Pickering, as well as the potential closures of OPG's 66 hydro-electric stations.
PWU represents approximately 6,000 OPG employees. Their previous collective agreement expired on March 31, 2018.
Bargaining between the two parties began in January and a tentative agreement was reached back on June 4. However, the PWU membership rejected the offer. Bargaining continued and another vote on the same offer was held this month, which was turned down again.
As a result, the Ontario government announced that it would recall the Legislature.
"Given the uncertainty created by the impasse between Ontario Power Generation and the Power Workers' Union, it is the intent of the government to reconvene the 42nd Parliament at 1 p.m. on Monday, December 17 for the purposes of introducing legislation to ensure that power workers remain on the job," said Ontario Government House Leader Todd Smith in statement.
OPG produces approximately half of the electricity in Ontario.