TORONTO—Teacher and occasional teacher members of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) voted 90 percent in favour of accepting the 2022-2026 teacher/occasional teacher central agreement with the Ontario Public Boards Association (OPSBA) and the Ontario government. The term of the four-year central agreement is from September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2026. OPSBA ratification is required for the agreement to take effect, and their vote is scheduled for this week.
“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,” said ETFO president Karen Brown. “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.”
The pressure of conciliation and a strong members strike mandate assisted in applying pressure this fall, allowing ETFO’s bargaining team to achieve a central agreement that addresses many bargaining priorities.
Highlights of the agreement include: funding for 401 full-time equivalent new specialist teaching positions for the 2024-2025 school year, and an increase in funding in 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to maintain these 401 positions; preservation of the Support for Students Fund (SSF) that funds 432.7 elementary teaching positions who work directly with students in areas like special education, Indigenous student supports, English language learner supports, mental health/well-being, behaviour, self-regulation, and social-emotional needs; several new and innovative measures to address violence in schools; preservation of sick leave and short-term leave entitlements; preservation of professional judgement language; referral of compensation increases (salary and daily occasional teacher rate) to arbitration; a Bill 124 remedy for 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, with a referral to arbitration for a review for 2021-2022; a meaningful increase in funding to maintain existing benefit levels for members.
ETFO locals representing members who are teachers and occasional teachers will now work with their respective school boards to negotiate local collective agreements.
ETO represents approximately 80,000 teachers and occasional teachers, and 3,500 designated early childhood educators, education support personnel, and professional support personnel.
