Parents may have been relieved to hear about the deals reached with the major education unions representing teachers and support staff – but there’s still no guarantee of labour peace in Ontario schools.
Advertisement
This week, Ontario Education Minister Liz Sandals gave the go-ahead to cut the pay of OSSTF members by 10 per cent because they aren’t performing all their job duties.
Jeff Brosseau, the OSSTF District 9 president, said his union was “happy to have a deal with the board”.
The province’s threat to dock the pay of the OSSTF’s 15,000 support staff members across Ontario is disrespectful and unfair, said Elliott in a statement. He added that the talks hinge on a wide variety of issues, including working conditions and job security.
Tom Kilpatrick, a school trustee, said the board was similarly “very happy” about reaching a deal with the secondary teachers.
“It is beyond reasoning that a government would authorize this unprecedented action against these hard working support staff members instead of returning to the bargaining table”, he said Tuesday. “The focus should have been on returning to the bargaining table and addressing issues and achieving a fair settlement”.
Work-to-rule job action resulting in janitors refusing to clean a few areas of school buildings is being called off by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
The public board still remains in local negotiations with its elementary school teachers, custodians and education support workers in the secondary panel.
In Toronto, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation local has threatened job action starting Wednesday if it doesn’t have an agreement with the Toronto District School Board.
Yesterday, the province reached tentative contract deals with EFTO and one of the unions representing support staff. It says details of its tentative contract deals won’t be released until the agreements are ratified.
Advertisement
Premier Kathleen Wynne had given all the education unions a deadline of November 1 to end the job actions or face pay cuts or other penalties. That’s been the most visible and controversial part of the partial strike by OSSTF that began October 5.
