Lecce warns that Ontario education talks won’t proceed unless strike cancelled

Education workers from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) are planning to strike on Friday after continual negotiations with the Ford government have failed.

But, Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce says he won’t negotiate the details of a counter offer from the CUPE education workers unless they cancel their plans to strike.

He is telling them, “Take the strike off the table and let’s talk.”

The 55,000 workers such as early childhood educators, educational assistants and custodians still plan to walk off the job Friday, despite looming legislation that would make it illegal.

READ MORE: CUPE education workers plan to strike Friday, despite Ontario’s new back-to-work legislation

The Ontario government hopes to pass a new bill this week to impose a contract on the education workers and ban them from striking upon threat of steep fines.

CUPE negotiators presented a counter-offer late Tuesday night in response to the imposed contract terms in the legislation, but Lecce suggested today that it may not spur a renewed round of talks.

The union has not provided details of its new proposal.