A historic and controversial bill that will outlaw a proposed strike and impose a contract on education workers has been passed by the Ford government.
The vote was marked by cries and heckles hurled by union members seated in — and escorted from — the public gallery.
The law was introduced to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on Monday in response to a threat of strike action from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents some 55,000 Ontario education workers.
Negotiations between the union and the government have stalled through the week and officially concluded without a deal on Thursday afternoon, leaving millions of students facing the possibility of school closures.
The new legislation received royal assent and became law before 6 p.m. on Thursday, the Ford government confirmed to Global News.
“This afternoon we were informed that mediation has concluded,” CUPE’s bargaining committee said in a statement.
In a press conference just minutes after the statement was issued, minister of education Stephen Lecce said he had “no choice” but to pass legislation that will impose a contract on CUPE workers and make their planned strike illegal.
“The mediator decided to call off the discussions just the last few minutes on the basis that we remained far apart,” Lecce told reporters.
The legislation includes fines of up to $4,000 for workers found guilty of breaking the anti-strike legislation. Lecce said he would use “every tool available to send a clear, unambiguous message” that students should remain in schools.
In a memo sent Thursday, Lecce ordered school boards to make “every effort” to keep schools open. Many, including the Toronto District School Board, are set to be closed Friday.
The union, which represents some 55,000 education workers, has vowed to go ahead with its potentially lengthy strike regardless of the legislation.
“We are on strike until this government recognizes that you can put in all of the legislation in place, but you cannot control a worker movement that is so fed up with your overreach,” said Laura Walton, president of CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions.
Walton said parents should “definitely” make alternate arrangements for child care beyond Friday.
“When my kids were little, I had plans for a snow day, I had plans for you know, any sort of thing,” she said. “Parents have contingency plans, always have contingency plans.’
— with files from The Canadian Press