But the Premier runs the risk of undermining his own legacy for restoring labour peace in Ontario if he declares "Dalton Days," a measure that would result in some cost savings for the government but would do nothing to address the province's economic problems, observers say. A look at Lakehead University's tussle over unpaid days gives a taste of the unrest any major moves could trigger for the McGuinty government.

The observers, from a range of sectors, questioned the Liberals' resolve to potentially pick a fight with nurses, teachers and civil servants. After all, they said, the Liberals have demonstrated little desire to rein in spending since the onset of the global recession a year ago, and they are facing a provincial election in 2011.

"No government is going to cast its fate to the wind roughly [two years] before they have to go to the public," said Hugh Mackenzie, research associate with the left-of-centre Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Mr. McGuinty said this week it is not fair that civil servants have been sheltered from the recession while thousands of private-sector workers have lost their jobs. He refused to rule out unpaid days off for public-sector workers. Continued....