Talks have ended with no deal between the Ford government and the union representing thousands of education workers poised to strike Friday.

“It’s disappointing we have to get here, all along we’ve hoped to reach an agreement,” said Stephen Lecce.

The Education Minister says legislation to impose a contract that bans strike action is expected to pass Thursday afternoon.

He calls Friday’s planned strike” illegal” and is urging all school boards to remain open and make plans for remote learning.

Laura Walton is president of CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions.

“If this government had spent as much time at the bargaining table and working as hard there as they have in crafting a bill, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” Walton told reporters. “To hear today that the minister is concerned about people not begin able to eat, and children not being able to eat, is a smack in the face to the quarter of my members that are already at food banks because they can’t afford to live in this province and do the work they love.”

“They don’t know what they have started here,” said Fred Hahn, president of CUPE Ontario.

He says there’s growing support for education works across the province.