Backgrounder


Chronology Of Provincial Framework Discussions

February 10, 2009

On August 31, 2008, most of the 475 collective agreements in Ontario's publicly funded schools expired. Minister Wynne committed to facilitate provincial discussions with trustee associations, teacher federations and support staff unions.

The discussions aimed to address issues that, if resolved provincially, would result in new four-year framework agreements that would greatly facilitate local bargaining. All parties were encouraged to take part in these voluntary discussions in good faith and all agreed to participate.

Key Dates

  • November 2007: Minister Wynne initiated informal discussions with trustee associations, teacher federations and unions to explore a provincial process that could lead to new four-year collective agreements before agreements expired.

  • January 2008: Provincial Discussion Tables began with trustee associations, teacher federations, CUPE and other unions representing support staff workers facilitated by staff from the Minister's Office and the ministry.

  • April 2008: Formal provincial framework proposals offered to trustee associations, teacher federations and unions.

  • May 1, 2008: The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) signed on to a provincial framework agreement with the Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association (OCSTA) that included salary increases of 3 per cent each year for four years, plus other improvements.

  • May 7, 2008: The Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO) signed on to a provincial framework agreement with the two French-language trustee associations that would give francophone teachers similar gains to OECTA's.

  • May 14, 2008: Twelve educational support staff unions signed on to a provincial framework agreement with trustee associations.

  • May 22, 2008: The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) broke off discussions with the Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA) and left the provincial discussion table.

  • May 27, 2008: The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) signed on to a provincial framework agreement with trustee associations to benefit the support workers it represents.

  • June 18, 2008: Provincial Schools Authority Teachers signed on to an agreement with the Provincial Schools Authority.

  • September 12, 2008: The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF), on behalf of education support staff workers it represents, signed on to a provincial framework agreement with trustee associations.

  • November 26, 2008: ETFO's education support workers signed on to a provincial framework agreement with OPSBA.

  • November 27, 2008: OSSTF, on behalf of its teachers, signed on to a provincial framework agreement with OPSBA.

  • June to November 2008: Seven more unions representing support staff signed on to a provincial framework agreement with trustee associations.

  • November 27, 2008: Four-year provincial framework agreements reached between all 22 unions and trustee associations, with the exception of ETFO on behalf of its elementary teachers and OPSBA. English public elementary teachers were the only unionized employees in school boards not covered by a provincial framework agreement.

  • November 30, 2008: Deadline for all parties to reach a provincial framework agreement, which included salary increases of three per cent per year for four years and other enhancements.

  • November 30, 2008: ETFO resumed discussions with OPSBA, facilitated by the government.The government agreed to the parties' request for a five-day extension beyond November 30 for the parties to reach a provincial framework agreement.

  • December 5, 2008: Despite the government's five-day extension, discussions broke off between ETFO and OPSBA when the parties were unable to reach an agreement.

  • December 6, 2008: As communicated by the government since May, the government's funding proposal (provincial framework agreement) for ETFO and OPSBA was officially withdrawn. Instead, boards were provided with two per cent per year for two years to reach local deals with parties that had not already signed on to a provincial framework agreement.

  • January 8, 2009: ETFO announced its own deadline of February 13 for school boards to table their full offers to ETFO locals, and also warned that if significant progress was not made by that date that ETFO locals could be in a strike position by late March.

  • February 10, 2009: The government called ETFO and OPSBA back to present a final funding proposal.

  • February 12, 2009: Deadline for parties to agree to the government's final funding proposal.

See also: