The Ontario government did not get unanimous consent to table back to work legislation that would have pushed to have Ontario college students return to class by Monday, Nov. 20.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne put forth back to work legislation this afternoon that would have pushed to have students from Ontario's 24 community colleges back in class by Monday.
According to a press release, Wynne met with representatives from both OPSEU and the College Employer Council (CEC) today, and asked them to work together to find a way forward that would see students return to class.
"Unfortunately, we have heard from the parties that they have reached an impasse in negotiations and that they have to agreed to binding arbitration," said Wynne in a press release.
"That's why we are immediately tabling legislation that would end the dispute and return Ontario college students to the classroom where they belong. Under the proposed legislation that we're introducing today, all outstanding issues would be referred to binding mediation-arbitration."
The bill was not given unanimous consent to be tabled however, as the NDP was in opposition. In a release late Thursday, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said her party would not support back to work legislation.
“I want students back in classrooms Monday, and I want that achieved through a deal," Horwath said. "It looks like Kathleen Wynne wanted to use anti-worker back-to-work legislation all along. She spent barely an hour at the table today, after doing nothing for five long weeks.
"The premier has the ability to call the legislature back, and the NDP is prepared to sit through the weekend to debate this move ... New Democrats will not support any legislation that takes away the rights of any workers in this province. Kathleen Wynne is failing both college students and their instructors with her actions today. This does not solve the problem she created.”
PC Leader Patrick Brown released a statement, as well, blaming the premier for strike, but supporting back-to-work legislation.
"It is the right thing to do for students," Brown said. "We hope there will be support for this across all partisan lines."
Also late Thursday, negotiators for the colleges said a late demand by OPSEU was delaying a deal -- a $5,000 return to work bonus for each striking faculty member, while refusing to agree to resolve the strike through arbitration.
"OPSEU actions at the table moved us further away from a settlement," said Sonia Del Missier, Chair, Colleges' Bargaining Team, in the release. "Today's bargaining should have been focused on getting students back to class, but OPSEU chose the path of signing bonuses for faculty and a dismissal of arbitration."
