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TORONTO — Negotiations are set to resume Thursday in a colleges strike that has left 500,000 students out of class for more than two weeks.

More than 12,000 Ontario college professors, instructors, counsellors, and librarians went on strike Oct. 15. There have been no talks since then, but Advanced Education Minister Deb Matthews announced Wednesday that both sides are returning to the table.

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“This is an important step forward, but I’m going to continue to urge both parties to actually negotiate an agreement,” she said. “Students should be back in the classroom … as quickly as possible.”

Matthews would not say why the mediator called both sides back to the table or if one of the parties’ positions had changed to break the current impasse.

Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

“The mediator is hopeful that they can reach a resolution which is why they’re back at the table,” she said. “I’ll leave the bargaining to the table but I’m hopeful they’re going to be able to find common ground.”