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Striking York University contract professors and teaching assistants are photographed walking the line in Toronto on April 11, 2018.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail

Ontario’s Liberal government has introduced legislation to end a two-month strike at York University that has affected tens of thousands of students.

If passed, the legislation would refer any outstanding issues between the university and some 3,000 graduate teaching assistants, contract faculty and graduate research assistants to binding mediation-arbitration.

The province says the two sides would have five days to agree on a mediator-arbitrator before one is appointed by the minister of labour.

The government says the decision to introduce legislation comes on the heels of a report by commissioner William Kaplan, who found the parties had reached an impasse.

The strike began at the Toronto school on March 5 and the province says close to 40,000 students have seen at least one of their courses affected.

York is offering a tuition credit for those who have felt the impact of the work stoppage.

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