How Ontario plans to squash a school strike

Plus, the uphill battle of securing justice for residential school children, and pronouns on progress reports [Get access now!]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. [Toronto trick-or-treaters may need to grab an umbrella on the way out this evening](. Here’s the latest on the potential strikes at Ontario schools, justice for children who died or were abused in residential schools and pronouns on progress reports. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Nathan Denette provincial politics [Ontario’s government is planning legislation to pre-empt a school support staff strike]( After the Canadian Union of Public Employees gave the required five day’s notice that 55,000 school support staffers would strike on Friday, the Ontario government said it will introduce back-to-work legislation Monday to prevent that from happening. The province presented CUPE with what it called its final offer on Sunday — a four-year contract that will be imposed on support staff as part of the legislation, Kristin Rushowy reports. [Here’s what we know about the new contract and which school boards would be affected by a strike](. - Wait, what? Support staff include custodians, early childhood educators, educational assistants and office staff. - Context: Education Minister Stephen Lecce has repeatedly said he would not allow more disruptions in schools after two-plus years of COVID disarray. - More: “We went to the meeting optimistic … and instead they gave us an ultimatum,” said Laura Walton, president of the Ontario School Board Council of Unions, who added the government “had no intention of negotiating fairly with education workers.” Barry Gray/Hamilton Spectator reconciliation [Seeking justice for missing children and unmarked graves has uncovered “larger” concerns]( The challenges of creating a legal framework that would seek justice for children who were abused or died in residential schools are even greater than Kimberly Murray had imagined. Appointed five months ago to be Canada’s independent special interlocutor for missing children, unmarked graves and burial sites, Murray is now highlighting the issues communities face as they conduct searches and commemorate the children who lost their lives, Raisa Patel reports. [Here’s why she says funding Indigenous police services is critical for communities struggling with how to bring law enforcement into their investigations](. - Context: The special interlocutor role was first announced last summer, after ground searches confirmed there were hundreds of unmarked graves at the sites of several former residential schools. - More: Accessing residential school records held by church and the federal government has long been considered a barrier to reconciliation, but Murray said the issue extends beyond those institutions. She said she has encountered cases in which children were apprehended by municipal police for running away from the schools and sent to reformatories. Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward education [Ontario school boards are rethinking pronouns on report cards]( Some students with the Toronto Catholic District School Board may not find their pronouns on their report cards this fall, as the board has been recommended that legal names be used rather than pronouns to avoid mistakes, Kristin Rushowy reports. Meanwhile, the York Region public board has removed pronouns from online comment banks teachers use, while others have asked educators to use whatever pronouns students prefer. [Here’s a look at how boards across the province are upping inclusivity and addressing varied gender identities on progress reports](. - Why it matters: “This is not a political statement — it’s just trying to make sure people feel comfortable. We want kids to know that they are welcome,” said the president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association. WHAT ELSE A TikToker, a fundraiser, an ex-military officer: [Here are the “Freedom Convoy” organizers testifying at Emergencies Act inquiry this week](. After four years of far-right politics, [leftist candidate Luiz Inácio Lula has defeated Jair Bolsanaro to become Brazil’s president](. Pierre Poilievre is urging Chrystia Freeland to [make good on instructions she gave — and commit to budget cuts funding new programs](. Christianity is declining in Canada. Reverend Michael Coren makes [the case for giving the faith — not the churches — another chance](. Here’s how premiers responded to the [Star report that Ottawa could freeze some out of health-care funding deals](. Family and friends are in shock after a [prominent Toronto realtor was killed in a tragic accident](. The tragic mistakes surrounding the death of a 16-year-old are a [window into Ontario’s child welfare system](. A Toronto man who fired six times in a daylight shooting has been [acquitted of first-degree murder.]( A woman has been [sentenced to 18 years for the “torture” of her two stepsons](. Marcus, 25, wants to move out. [Can he afford to live downtown on $42,000 a year?]( [Litter boxes for students in bathrooms?]( Schools are scrambling to get ahead of a “furry” internet hoax. Henry Cavill is leaving his starring role in “The Witcher” [and the internet is outraged](. ICYMI Toronto Star [Actors say they’re owed thousands by a shuttered Toronto talent agency. Will they ever get paid?]( CLOSE-UP Lee Jin-Man/AP Photo SEOUL: Ambulances and rescue workers arrive near the scene of a crowd surge during Halloween festivities in the South Korean capital late Saturday that killed more than 150 people. [Witnesses described the nightmarish scene](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_151728). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. Get unlimited access to all articles Only $0.50/week for a limited time [Subscribe Now!]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](