A teacher walks the divided hallways at Hunter鈥檚 Glen Junior Public School, part of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada September 14, 2020. Nathan Denette/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Ottawa, Canada聽鈥� Education workers in Canada鈥檚 Ontario province agreed on Monday to return to work after the government pledged to repeal a strike ban that was backed by the extraordinary use of constitutional powers to override worker rights.
The deal, which will see both sides return to bargaining, averts a general strike planned by Canada鈥檚 largest public sector union and its allies.
At a news conference, Ontario Premier Doug Ford offered to repeal back-to-work legislation if the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 鈥渟topped their strike and let kids back in classrooms.鈥�
Laura Walton, president of CUPE鈥檚 Ontario School Board Council of Unions, accepted the offer on behalf of 55,000 school support workers who had faced daily fines of up to Can$4,000 (US$3,000) each for walking off the job on Friday.
The union, she told reporters, will be 鈥渃ollapsing our protests鈥� and 鈥渙ur workers will be at work tomorrow.鈥�
鈥淲e won. The bill is gone,鈥� she added.
After negotiations fell apart last week, the government of Ontario rushed through legislation to block a strike while imposing a four-year contract on workers.
The back-to-work legislation was pretty standard, except that it included the controversial use of a so-called notwithstanding clause in the constitution to pre-empt court challenges.
The uniquely Canadian override power allows provincial governments to effectively strip away Canadians鈥� civil rights on a case-by-case basis, for up to five years.
Its use is contentious within Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week warned against its recent overuse by provinces.