Ontario's New Democrats have stalled the provincial government's bid to legislate an end to the York University strike.

The back-to-work legislation tabled Sunday could have ended the strike at Canada's third largest university but the NDP's eight members voted against early passage, arguing that an end to the 11-week-old labour dispute should not be forced by the government.

As a result, the legislation will have to be debated several times before it can go to a final vote, likely later this week or early next week.

The legislature has been adjourned until 10:30 a.m. ET on Monday.

Premier Dalton McGuinty said he was seeking unanimous consent in order to pass the legislation by the end of Sunday and allow for classes to resume as early as Monday.

McGuinty said on Saturday talks were at a deadlock and a provincial labour mediator found there was "no reasonable prospect" of a negotiated settlement between the university and the union representing contract faculty and teaching assistants.

Classes cancelled for 50,000 students

About 3,300 workers at York have been off the job since Nov. 6., cancelling classes for the nearly 50,000 students who the attend the school in Toronto's north end.

The key issues between the university and CUPE Local 3903 are job security, benefits, the length of contracts and funding for graduate students.

The NDP demand for debate had been expected. Shortly after McGuinty recalled the legislature for the rare Sunday session, NDP Leader Howard Hampton said he was against forcing an end to the dispute.

"It almost looks like the university has taken the position, 'We won't bargain and then we'll allow the McGuinty government to settle this' and that's wrong," Hampton said Saturday

Howard said the real issue is the "chronically underfunded" education system in Ontario.

York has seen three of the country's five longest faculty association strikes. Sunday marked Day 81 of the current strike, while in 2001 there was a 78-day strike and in 1997 a strike lasted 55 days.

The length of those strikes are surpassed only by strikes at the University of Quebec in 1976-77 and Laval University in 1976, which both lasted about four months.

With files from the Canadian Press