Class is not dismissed.The Canadian Union of Public Employees and the provincial government managed to reach a tentative deal Sunday night — meaning no strike by 55,000 caretakers, educational assistants, early childhood educators and office staff.Schools across Ontario were to open as usual Monday morning, a relief for parents who faced ongoing uncertainty. Many had spent the weekend rushing to secure alternative care for their children after a number of boards said schools could not remain open in the event of a walkout.“Parents can rest easy knowing that the government worked tirelessly to ensure their children remain in the classroom, where they belong,” Education Minister Stephen Lecce said in announcing the agreement Sunday night, later saying “all parties can leave this deal with a sense of optimism.”While he did not release specifics, Lecce said all sides “achieved some incremental success.”Laura Walton, who heads CUPE’s school board council of unions, said her negotiating team was able to “push back” on sick leave concessions and secured a “local priorities” fund of up to $20 million to bring back services for students and jobs her members have lost because of budget cuts, plus “modest” wage increases. “This deal was done because parents, students, families across this province spoke loudly to say that they supported us and were defending us for what we were defending for them,” she said. “We didn’t give up anything,” she also said. Sources told the Star the only real win for the government was in holding CUPE to a one per cent wage increase in each year of the three-year deal.Toronto Catholic District School Board chair Maria Rizzo welcomed news of an agreement, saying a strike would have been tough on parents.“What a relief for families who live paycheque to paycheque,” she said.Her board was among those that had planned to shu ...
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