BROCKVILLE/KEMPTVILLE – Thousands of students across Eastern Ontario will be heading to class today as a strike by non-teaching staff has been averted.
The province and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) reached a tentative agreement Sunday as a strike deadline came and went.
In a statement, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the government’s focus during negotiations had “always been (about) keeping students in the classroom without disruption.”
The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association President Cathy Abraham said they were “very pleased that students will be in the classroom.”
The four year deal still has to be ratified by both sides.
It will include a $1 hourly raise each year or roughly 3.59 per cent per year.
Voting by CUPE is expected to start Thursday.