The union representing 55,000 education workers in Ontario plans to announce the result of the contract ratification vote tomorrow.

Online voting began on November 24 and is scheduled to end today, Sunday, exactly two weeks after the union's central bargaining committee reached a tentative agreement with the provincial government. The agreement avoided a strike that was scheduled to begin on Monday, November 21.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees also scheduled a press conference at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Monday, at Queens Park for the announcement.

The union, whose members include custodians, education assistants, early childhood educators, and administrative staff working in the public, Catholic, English, and French school boards in the province, initially planned to reveal the results on Tuesday but later backed down.

CUPE officials recommended that members ratify a four-year contract, which includes an average wage increase of 3.59 percent each year.

The terms of the agreement were also mandated in a worker contract under Bill 28, "Keeping Students in Class Act," which nonetheless used a provision to make workers' strikes illegal. The province repealed this bill after two days of protests and promised to return to talks with the union.

If CUPE members vote to reject the latest deal, the parties can return to the negotiating table and CUPE can give another strike notice.

Also, speaking briefly to reporters after CUPE's November 20 announcement not to strike, Ontario's Education Minister, Stephen Lecce, said the agreement is a "positive outcome for all parties."

Lecce said regardless of the ratification vote result, the provincial government intends to remain at the negotiating table with the other four education unions in Ontario that are currently negotiating contracts.