Ontario has introduced legislation to impose a contract on education workers and avert a strike that's set to start Friday.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the bill is part of the government's``unyielding'' commitment to keep kids in the classroom.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents about 55,000 education workers, has given notice that it intends to stage a full strike on Friday.
The government had been offering raises of two per cent a year for workers making less than $40,000 and 1.25 per cent for all others, and Lecce says the new deal would give 2.5 per cent annual raises to workers making less than $43,000 and 1.5 per cent raises for all others.
He says kids faced disruption in schools with teacher job action three years ago, which was then followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Lecce says nothing should stand in the way of a kid's right to learn.
The union says it will be looking at every avenue to fight the legislation.