Late counter-offer issued by Education Workers Union ahead of Friday’s school-closing protest

Negotiators for the union representing Ontario education workers will be back at the bargaining table this morning after presenting a counter- offer to the government late last night.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees is now waiting for the government’s response ahead of its planned protest, or strike on Friday. Laura Walton with CUPE says its a move they feel they have to make.

The government has tabled legislation that would impose contracts on the workers and ban them from striking, but they say in the absence of a deal they will walk out on Friday anyway.

CUPE has not said what is in its counter-offer, but it had been seeking annual raises of about 11.7 per cent.

Their planned strike has left some parents scrambling to find childcare for Friday as both the Upper Canada District School Board and Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario say they will move to remote learning if the strike happens, meaning schools will be closed.

Read more from the boards here.