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Strike averted: Ontario education workers reach tentative deal with government

After a long stint at the bargaining table, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has announced that education workers will not strike on Monday, having reached a tentative deal with the Ontario government.

The union set a deadline of 5 p.m. on Sunday to reach a deal with the Ontario government. Around 5:40 p.m., Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced in a news conference that education workers will not be walking out. The union made the same announcement via Twitter.

"There will be no job action tomorrow. Our members will be reporting to schools to continue supporting the students that we are proud to work with," said the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) Bargaining Team.

After CUPE's 5-day strike notice was issued on Wednesday, many school boards across Ontario made plans to transition to online learning - something that students have become well-accustomed to over the last few years. From the government side, Lecce has repeatedly expressed that keeping children in schools is Ontario's biggest priority.

"The government said we would do everything humanly possible, our Premier made a commitment to do everything humanly possible, to keep kids in class. Today I am proud to confirm that the parties have come together to reach a tentative agreement that will provide stability for children, keep kids in the classroom, for 2 million children who will be learning tomorrow. This is a positive outcome for all the parties, but the biggest beneficiary of this deal is our kids," said Lecce.

However, Laura Walton, the president of CUPE-OSBCU, explained that just because an agreement was reached, it does not necessarily mean the battle is over. Nothing is final until the agreement is ratified.

“I think we saw this with our friends at [Amalgamated Transit Union], right? Their membership voted down the collective agreement and then it went back to the table," said Walton in a separate news conference. "If it is turned down we would be sending a message over saying ‘unfortunately we were unable to get this deal ratified, we need to get back to the table.'"

While the terms of the agreement are still under wraps, Walton reaffirmed education workers' commitment to creating a better school environment for students in the long run.

“We are going to do everything we can do to keep your kids in school. Not just around labour negotiations, but to keep your kids in school every single day of the school year," Walton said. "Right now there is so much instability, so much that’s not normal. Not because of labour negotiations, but because of the current underfunding and current devaluing of education workers and public education in general. We are going to keep fighting."

Both Lecce and Walton expressed regret towards parents who's day-to-day routines have been repeatedly disrupted throughout the negotiations, as well as during school closures throughout the pandemic.

"This is a material win for working parents. They have been very, incredibly patient. I know this has been a very anxious process. But I'm happy we could provide some certainty to you, that these kids are going to stay in school, and they're going to learn in school. It is our aim to keep them there right to June," Lecce said.

“I don’t think there’s a need for it ever to get to this point. But, what it requires is having a government that’s willing to come to the table, and recognize the value, and recognize what’s actually needed on the front line… I hope that this government recognizes that we need to do better," said Walton.

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