News Release


English Public Secondary School Teachers, Boards Reach Four-Year Agreement

All Unions, Except ETFO Teachers, Have Now Reached A Provincial Four-Year Framework Agreement With Boards

November 28, 2008

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) and the Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA) have reached last night a four-year provincial labour framework agreement.

Talks resumed on November 17th, facilitated by the government. This agreement is comparable to the ones reached last May between Catholic and Francophone teachers and boards. It includes a three per cent annual salary increase compounding to 12.55 per cent by 2012, more course options for students and improvements in benefits and working conditions for English public secondary teachers.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) also reached yesterday a four-year provincial agreement with OPSBA on behalf of its four bargaining units representing support workers in Algoma, Rainy River and Renfrew District School boards.

Provincial talks have not resumed between ETFO and OPSBA regarding elementary teachers. However, all other elementary teachers have signed on to provincial framework agreements. English public elementary teachers are now the only unionized employees in Ontario's school boards who are not covered by a provincial framework agreement. ETFO's refusal to resume discussions with OPSBA is, therefore, a union-specific issue.

Quotes

"I'm pleased that OSSTF and OPSBA have acted in the best interests of students and teachers. This agreement is very fair considering international economic conditions," said Education Minister Kathleen Wynne.

"This framework agreement paves the way for productive collective bargaining with school boards," said OSSTF President Ken Coran.

"This latest provincial agreement with OSSTF will promote labour peace and maintains the focus on student achievement in the school system. We now urge ETFO to resume provincial talks," said OPSBA Vice President Loralea Carruthers.

Quick Facts

  • The OSSTF/OPSBA teacher agreement reached today will benefit 458,000 students as well as 31,000 teachers represented by 56 bargaining units in 32 school boards.
  • OSSTF and OPSBA have agreed to ratify teachers' collective agreements without job action or lock-out prior to January 30, 2009.
  • 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.
  • Provincial agreements cover 152,000 of the 210,000 employees in elementary and secondary schools, and 394 of the 475 collective agreements. Remaining employees and bargaining units are exclusively English public elementary teachers and occasional teachers represented by ETFO.
  • Within three years, Ontario's elementary and secondary teachers will earn a maximum of about $94,600.
  • Last May, Catholic and francophone teachers, the Canadian Union of Public Employees and 11 other unions representing support workers signed four-year provincial framework agreements with trustee associations.
  • Since September, Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), ETFO support workers, Essex and Kent Counties Skilled Trades Council, Huron Perth Custodian Group, Media Support Specialists' Association (MSSA), OSSTF support workers, OSSTF teachers and United Steelworkers (USW) have also reached such provincial framework agreements.

Learn More

Read the government's vision for education.

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