Teachers walk out
Teachers in 17 local bargaining units reach an impasse in contract talks. They submit their resignations, potentially leaving 180,000 students without teachers as schools re-open.
The provincial government responds with legislation that mandates compulsory arbitration and denies the right to strike. On Dec. 18, 1973, teachers across Ontario submit their resignations en masse and walk off the job to protest the government’s bill banning the right to strike.
About 80,000 teachers leave their classrooms; 30,000 attend a massive rally at Maple Leaf Gardens.
The government backs down. The bill is withdrawn three days later.