Speaking at a news conference Tuesday morning, Ford said he could not go into detail about what the new offer entails, but said it was “improved…especially for lower-income workers.” The prime minister also told reporters he was “past the battle stage” with the union, saying the government was willing to “negotiate all day (and) all night”. “I don’t want to fight. I just want the kids at school. That’s what I want to do,” he said. The comments come as schools reopened after a two-day strike by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which has about 55,000 members. The protest came after negotiations with the province were scrapped and the government passed Bill 28, which uses the non-applicability clause to override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to force a contract on workers. The legislation also made it illegal to strike and imposed heavy fines on people who took part in any work action. Ford promised on Monday to scrap the bill if CUPE workers end their strikes and return to the table. The union accepted the offer and negotiations are expected to resume on Tuesday morning. Bill 28 is expected to be repealed on November 14 when MPPs return to the legislature after a week of recess. The two parties have yet to agree on the contentious issue of wages. CUPE had asked for an annual wage increase of 11.7 per cent a year, but last week said their latest offer was about half of what was originally proposed. The government, meanwhile, has put an annual wage increase of 2.5 percent for those making less than $43,000 and 1.5 percent for all other employees on the table. That wage increase was locked in using House Bill 28 last week. Speaking to CP24 Tuesday morning, Lathe president of CUPE’s Ontario School Board Union Council said they are entering negotiations with an “open mind and a clear head.” “I hope the government and employers do exactly the same thing,” said Laura Walton. CUPE members have been without a collective agreement since August 31. The union is still in a legal position to strike but will have to give five days’ notice of any further action. This is a developing story. More to come.
