The union representing 55,000 education workers in Ontario has given a five-day notice to return to strike, meaning schools may have to close as early as next Monday.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) also said that despite "many late attempts to reach a free collective bargaining settlement," talks with the provincial government have once again "broken down."

"I urge the Ford government to seize the time we have and do the right thing, and come forward with a deal that truly helps students catch up," said Laura Walton, president of the Ontario School Board Council of Unions at CUPE, on Wednesday at a press conference.

In response, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the government is "deeply disappointed" by the "unnecessary" strike decision, adding: "We came in good faith, demonstrating our commitment to low-wage workers and parents' commitments to keeping their children in school." He said this at an impromptu press conference at Queen's Park following news of the imminent action.

Also, CUPE education workers remain in a legal strike position after the mediator issued what is known as a "no board" report on October 17. The union does not have to request the report again if it wants to strike again.

Both sides remained silent on negotiations at the mediator's request, but Lecce said the ministry had made "multiple improved offers" that would add "hundreds of millions of dollars across the sector."

Meanwhile, Walton said the latest offer from the government to CUPE workers included a one-dollar hourly increase for each year of the collective agreement, which she said works out to about a 3.59 percent increase.

Also, the union and the Ontario government returned to the bargaining table last week after a two-day strike by union secretaries, librarians, and early childhood educators.

Ontario Premier Doug speaks during a press conference, as Education Minister Stephen Lecce looks on, at Queen's Park in Toronto on Monday, November 7, 2022. While Ontario school boards have not yet responded to the news, many had to close after previous job action left millions of students out of class and parents scrambling to find childcare.

In this regard, education workers went on strike for the first time on November 4 after contract negotiations collapsed, and the government introduced and passed legislation making strikes illegal, even though the union was in a legal position to do so at that time.

On Monday, Doug Ford's government cancelled Bill 28 – which used the controversial clause nonetheless – keeping his promise to repeal the legislation in good faith to end the job action and return to negotiations.

Additionally, the latest general offer made by the government to education workers included an annual wage increase of 2.5 percent for those earning less than $43,000 and 1.5 percent for the rest of the workforce.