The province and CUPE reached a tentative deal last evening to avoid a strike of over 55,000 education workers today.
The tentative deal means the Bluewater District School Board, Huron Perth Catholic District School Board and Bruce-Grey Catholic District school board, will move ahead with regular in-person learning today. All three were slated for remote learning or cancelled classes today had job action taken place.
According to CUPE leaders, the deal that was offered this weekend was no different than what the government put forward last week when the union first issued a five-day strike notice. The sides agreed on wage increases of $1/hour per year, but the union was pushing for a guarantee of $100 million put into increasing in staffing levels this weekend,
The deal will be taken to CUPE members to vote on ratification later this week.
Laura Walton, the president of CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions says it will be up to members whether this deal is ultimately acceptable.
If CUPE members vote not to ratify the agreement, all parties will have to go back to the negotiation table.
