Negotiations were scheduled to resume on Tuesday, but were moved up after the Canadian Union of Public Employees gave the required five days' notice for a job action.
The Toronto Catholic District School Board, the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board and the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board have all said that they will not be able to operate safely if CUPE members walk off the job. "We are at the table with a fair offer that includes a pay raise and maintains the most generous pension and benefit package, but most importantly -- it keeps kids in class," Lecce said in a news release Sunday. "If CUPE moves ahead with strike action and disruption, we will act to keep students in class so they can continue to catch up."
Other than the proposal on wages, the government's offer seeks to keep all other areas the same as the previous deal except for a cut to sick leave pay.