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(Updated) 70,000 high school students in Peel, Durham and the Rainbow Valley region near Sudbury are back in class, after the Ontario Labour Relations Board ruled their teachers’ strikes illegal.

The longest strike was in Durham, where teachers had been on the picket lines since April 20th, meaning no classes in places like Whitby, Pickering and Oshawa. The ruling was a surprise for most CHCH News spoke to and it was quite late when they found out the teachers were ordered back to work.

Everybody had to scramble to get ready and to get the classes and everything ready for school. The students that CHCH News has spoken to say everything seems normal; the teachers seem happy to be back.

Students have been given some accommodations. They get an extra week of school in June and they don’t have to write final exams. Everybody seems happy about that.

The president of the OSSTF local, Dave Barrowclough, told CHCH News they were shocked at the labour board decision yesterday, saying from the teachers’ perspective both strikes were perfectly legal. “In our minds we have done nothing illegal here. We have followed all of the processes laid out for us, and the reason for our strike was simple.”

“It was the fact the board would not come to the table and address our issues. We don’t agree with this ruling, but we will abide by it. The teachers are back in school today.”

“We would never take illegal action, and we don’t believe we have to date.”

The ruling only says the teachers can’t strike for the next two weeks. However, we know at Queen’s Park legislation is likely to pass this week that orders teachers back to work. So this school year appears to be saved. There won’t be anymore teacher strikes by the end of June.

However, the discussions are not over. This is going to continue throughout the summer, and CHCH News has been told by of the unions from catholic, public, elementary, secondary that there could be chaos this coming September. This isn’t over yet.

Peel region was the largest affected, with 42,000 students now back in class. It was a mixed reaction from students in Peel heading back to school after nearly four weeks of being at home. Some were happy; others were anxious not knowing what to expect.

Buses pulled in and parents dropped off their teens while dozens of teachers stood off school property. Many of the students were nervous and concerned about how the rest of the year will pan out.

Others feel bad for the teachers, saying it is unfair they are being forced back to work without a settlement.

“I feel the teachers deserve the right to strike. They should have the right to do that.”
“I am happy to be back. We have a lot of work to do.”
“After four weeks it is kind of weird. I am not used to waking up early and gym class and everything.”
“I was having fun not having school, but I’m happy at the same time because I get to finish my courses.”

At least 50 teachers stood together in solidarity wearing black. They stood on the sidewalk in a group and it wasn’t until a few moments before the bell rang that they walked together towards the school, visibly unhappy to be back after the labour board ruling.

Some students were worried that the teachers would be unmotivated coming back to school. Mike Bettiol, the head of OSSTF district 19 says that isn’t the case. “This is not between them and the students; it is between them and the employer.”

“Our members will be professionals and they will do their job exactly the way they are supposed to do their job. I don’t think there is any fear that students or parents should have that people won’t be doing their job.”

Janet McDougald, chair of the Peel District School Board is going to focus on prioritizing the curriculum in the four weeks remaining in the school year. By the next week students will be in the full swing of things. “This week will be two review days. That will be today and tomorrow. There are no major assignments to be given out, or even assignments that were due before the strike are not due now so that students will have an opportunity to transition in as if they were from a summer hiatus to September.

Education minister Liz Sandals says final marks should be determined without exams; they have been canceled in the three school boards affected by the strike.