A tentative deal has been reached between the province and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association.
Advertisement
The OECTA, which represents 50,000 elementary and secondary school teachers in Ontario, has been in a legal strike position since August 17.
“We worked hard to address the concerns of our members and believe this agreement will protect them as well as the quality of education in our schools”, OECTA president Ann Hawkins said in a statement.
The deal, which came after several days of negotiations, has to be ratified by members of OECTA, and work-to-rule has been suspended at this time. Prior to reaching the tentative settlement, only one school, Bishop Belleau in Moosonee, had commenced work to rule sanctions, which will now be suspended.
Those students will return to school facing phase two of ETFO’s work-to-rule effort in which teachers will not be taking part in field trips, fundraising, board meetings or training.
The salary increase is said to be funded through existing spending according to Premier Kathleen Wynne.
Education Minister Liz Sandals wouldn’t explain the details of how negotiators managed to satisfy both sides but did say the deal won’t cost the province additional dollars. “What we did say was that there wasn’t new money for the education sector for…increases in compensation”.
The Canadian Press obtained a copy of a briefing on last week’s deal with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, which calls for a one per cent lump sum payment followed by raises of 1.5 per cent plus another paid professional day.
“We remain committed to bargaining throughout the remaining weeks of the summer in order to reach agreements at all tables”, said Sandals. Negotiations continue with the unions representing the various education workers employed in Catholic schools and school board offices.
Advertisement
The success of the negotiations between Ontario and its high school teachers is an important signal, especially to parents with children in school, that agreements will also be reached with elementary teaching staff and with the school’s support staff.
