News Release


English Public Elementary Teachers Have Four Days To Resume Provincial Talks With Boards

McGuinty Government Accepts Independent Facilitator's Report

November 27, 2008

Last May, the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) walked away from provincial discussions with the Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA), turning down an $800 million increase over four years in compensation costs for English public elementary teachers, including:

  • $559 million to fund a three per cent annual salary increase or 12.55% over four years, bringing the maximum salary to about $94,600;
  • $141 million to reduce teachers' instruction workload by 40 minutes, from 21.67 hours to 21 hours per week;
  • $53 million to hire more teachers in grades 4 to 8;
  • $18 million to enhance professional development for elementary teachers;
  • $16 million to increase supervision of elementary students;
  • $13 million to improve benefits for teachers and working conditions for occasional teachers.

That offer is still on the table six months later despite the significant economic changes that have occurred since then.

ETFO has refused to resume provincial discussions, despite a November 30th deadline that has been known since May and was voluntarily agreed to by 20 other provincial unions and the four trustee associations.

Until November 30th, ETFO and OPSBA could access $47 million in 2008-09 and $138 million in 2009-10 in government incentives aimed at encouraging them to reach four-year collective agreements without job action or lock-out.

Quote

"I sincerely hope for the sake of all public elementary students and teachers that ETFO returns to the table. ETFO has four days left to resume provincial discussions with boards. Concerns such as teacher workload can't be resolved if parties are not talking," said Education Minister Kathleen Wynne.

Quick Facts

  • If all school boards and bargaining units meet the proposed eligibility criteria, education funding support for provincial framework agreements would total $2.5 billion by 2011-12:
    • $1.8 billion for a three per cent annual increase in salary benchmarks;
    • $0.7 billion in additional enhancements.
  • Since the government took office, 3,900 additional elementary teachers have been hired, despite a reduction of 96,000 elementary students due to the decline in the school-aged population.  If the number of elementary teachers had dropped in proportion with enrolment, there would be 9,300 fewer elementary teachers in our schools this year.
  • Student enrolment in elementary schools is projected to decline by another 21,000 over the next four years because of the decline in the school-aged population.
  • In 2007-08, both elementary and secondary schools reported a ratio of 10.9 students per adult. The average elementary class size was 22.1 compared with a funded average secondary class size of 22.0.

Learn More

Read the government's vision for education.

Find out the latest information on provincial framework agreements across the province.