College students across the province could be back in class Tuesday at the earliest as the NDP’s delay tactics force emergency debate on back-to-work legislation all weekend.

The political brinkmanship was criticized by Liberal and Progressive Conservative MPPs alike Friday afternoon, as Labour Minister Kevin Flynn introduced Bill 178 to end the record-long strike by 12,000 faculty.

The 16 New Democrats present refused to grant unanimous consent needed to pass the legislation immediately, and also rejected a move to allow debate to begin Friday. Instead, MPPs will meet starting 1 p.m. Saturday.

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“It’s very frustrating,” said Joel Willett, president of the College Student Alliance, who was at the legislature with fellow students in the hopes some progress would be made before the weekend.

“We were told ... that the NDP was willing to talk ... so we showed up hoping to listen to the debate and for it to be shut down is very frustrating for students — because now we’re at the point where we are facing another day of being out of class and that’s truly unfortunate for students.”

News of the vote result prompted Premier Kathleen Wynne to say she’ll immediately meet with both sides.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, however, stood firm.

“The New Democrats will not support the legislation, I want to make that clear,” she told reporters.

“It’s my job and my responsibility to review government legislation,” she said.

“I have to say I’m feeling very badly for the students and I’m glad to hear that Tuesday they’ll be back in class, and Monday instructors will be back in schools — that’s really great news. The students have had to go through an awful lot these last five weeks as (Premier) Kathleen Wynne sat on her hands and did nothing to address this strike.”

Students have been worried about how they will make up the lost time, as colleges release back-to-school plans that include extending the semester right up until Christmas or returning early. Some have had to change travel plans or make alternate living arrangements to accommodate the makeup classes.

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Deputy premier Deb Matthews called the NDP move to delay “cruel.”

“Every day matters now,” she told reporters. “The students have been out for five weeks. They are very close to losing the semester.”

Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown, who was not in the legislature on Friday, blamed the Liberals for the strike and urged the New Democrats to think of the students.

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