Ontario elementary teachers agreed to a new deal with Ford government
Members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) have voted 90 per cent in favour of accepting an agreement with Doug Ford’s government.
The four-year contract, which is retroactive from Sept. 1, 2022, and will expire on Aug. 31, 2026, requires the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association’s (OPSBA) ratification to take effect, whose vote is scheduled for next week.
The union and the provincial government had originally reached a tentative deal on Nov. 21. The agreement means no province-wide strikes can be called for the duration of the contract.
“While this round of bargaining was exceptionally lengthy and difficult, ETFO members stood firm in the face of cuts, pressed for improvements to working and learning conditions, and won,” ETFO president Karen Brown said in a statement on Friday.
“This agreement is proof that the legal bargaining process works when it’s allowed to unfold as intended. I want to thank members for their strength, resistance and persistence.”
In an email statement to the Star, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the ratified agreement will ensure that 950,000 children benefit from three stable school years.
“From day one, we have worked hard to ensure kids can stay in class learning without disruption, with a focus on getting back to basics,” Lecce said.
One of the highlights of the agreement includes funding for 401 full-time new specialist teaching positions for the 2024-25 school year, as well as an increase in funding for the following two school years to maintain the positions.
Another part of the agreement focuses on preserving the Support for Students Fund. The fund helps more than 430 elementary teaching positions that work directly with students in areas such as special education, Indigenous student support and more.
Other highlights in the agreement include the preservation of sick leave and short-term leave entitlements, as well as the preservation of professional judgment language. The agreement also prioritizes newer and innovative measures to address violence in schools.
ETFO noted in its statement that unresolved compensation and salary increases have been sent to arbitration.
Members will now work with their respective school boards to negotiate local collective agreements, the statement read. The union represents approximately 80,000 English public school elementary teachers and occasional teachers, and 3,500 designated early childhood educators and other types of education support personnel.
The EFTO deal between puts pressure on the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association and the AEFO, representing French board teachers, to also settle in their negotiations with the government.
“We continue to call on Catholic and French education unions to get their deals done, so that all kids are in class without the threat of disruption, with an emphasis on strengthening essential skills like reading, writing and math,” said Lecce.
This article was reported by The Star
