Elementary Teachers Agreement
Thursday, April 8, 2021 in Uncategorized
Education Minister Stephen Lecce had also sought concessions on a regulation requiring a halt to seniority issues, but while the agreement does not involve such concessions, there is also no guarantee that the government will not be able to make any changes to it. According to the union, the new agreements include special investment schools, the elimination of a $150 million reduction in basic public spending and “sustainable funding of membership benefits.” The contract guarantees the single teacher model, full-time kindergarten educator model for the entire year of the agreement and says there will be no changes in primary school sizes. In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce commended the union for ratifying the preliminary agreement and said the government`s primary goal was to “achieve a good agreement” with teachers and unions. “This interim ETFO agreement creates additional momentum for the agreements and progress that students deserve after being signed last week with the Ontario Teachers` Association (OECTA).” The province`s four teachers` unions have signed preliminary agreements with the province. ETFO President Sam Hammond said in a statement that while negotiations were “prolonged and difficult,” teachers remained firm in the face of budget cuts. ETFO is the largest teachers` union in the province and represents 83,000 elementary teachers, casual teachers and education professionals. According to the union, the contract preserves 100% of the funding for special education negotiated in 2017, as well as the size of the primary school, and a teacher-to-one-child ratio in kindergarten classes. ETFO stated that there would be no increase in class sizes for the duration of the agreement. It also stated that the proposed $150 million reductions at the elementary level will be eliminated.
The union said it would now work with headteachers to negotiate local collective agreements. “Our government is pleased to announce an interim agreement between the Crown, teachers and education workers and school board associations,” Education Minister Stephen Lecce said in a statement. The agreement also includes a two-year, $89 million student support fund that ETFO says will create approximately 434 teaching positions to address areas such as specialized pedagogy, English learning and mental health initiatives. TORONTO — The union representing primary school teachers in Ontario has ratified an agreement with the provincial government, officially ending a months-long struggle that has resulted in numerous rotating strikes and labour disputes.
