Ontario politicians like Kingston MPP Ted Hsu have been spending long days in the legislature this week.
They’re debating a controversial government bill to impose a contract on Canadian Union of Public Employees education workers while banning them from strike action, which the union plans to ignore.
While Hsu is using social media to voice his frustrations, local school boards are watching and waiting on what to do next.
In what appears to be a battle of who will blink first, the provincial government said it is moving forward with legislation to impose a contract on CUPE education support workers.
Education Minister Steven Lecce said a mediator called off talks Thursday afternoon between the government and CUPE.
“They are using the notwithstanding clause to take away rights, they’re getting into the habit of doing that, and who knows what other rights in the future they’re going to find very convenient to trample over,” said Hsu in a video posted to Twitter.
The Liberal MPP took to social media to voice his frustration, calling the Ford government’s use of the notwithstanding clause to ban strike action heavy-handed and unnecessary.
CUPE has said it plans to strike anyway.
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“The government can go to arbitration. They can say, ‘OK, you have to go back to work,’ but there’s going to be an arbitration process to try to reach a fair settlement in lieu of bargaining,” said Hsu.
Both the Limestone and the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic school boards have made it clear if support workers don’t show up for work on Friday, schools across both boards will have to close.
The Limestone board says it will be updating parents with information as they get it and when it comes time to make the decision for either in-class or remote learning, the board will be treating Friday like an inclement weather day.
Because busing students is a factor, a decision by the board on whether schools will be open or closed will have to be made by 5:30 a.m. Friday.
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