Northern Ontario labour leaders say private and public unions 'reunited' over threat to bargaining rights

All schools are open again Tuesday with CUPE and the Ontario governmentreturning to the bargaining table, which labour leaders in the north see as a sign of a reinvigorated union movement.

"It's as if Doug Ford woke us up," said D'Arcy Gauthier, president of the Sudbury and District Labour Council.

He saysthe province's move to restrict bargaining rights in Bill 28with the help of the notwithstanding clause helped bring unions together and mobilized the public as well.

Gauthier says also critical werethe seven construction trades unions who made headlines by supportingthe Progressive Conservatives in the spring election nowspeaking out in favour of CUPE.

"Bargaining rights are so fundamental that it brought us back together," said Michele McCleave-Kennedy, president of the Sault Ste. Marie and District Labour Council.

"There's always going to be differences between private and public sector and it certainly sparked some reuniting in the labour movement and I think we have lots of momentum going forward and I think we need to keep with that."

McCleave-Kennedy says she's "cautiously optimistic" that CUPE and the province can reach a fair agreement at the bargaining table and that it will set a good tone for the three other education unions that have contract talks coming up.

"I think when you talk the game of politics, it's inevitable that both sides are going to claim victory," said Gauthier.

"But I think we can all agree that respecting workers' rights and having kids in school are not mutually exclusive."