Backgrounder


Chronology of 2012 Provincial Labour Framework Discussions

August 16, 2012

December 2011 – January 2012

High-level meetings with all teacher federations, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the trustee associations and other support staff representatives, to discuss the Provincial Discussion Table (PDT) process and address any concerns.

Feb. 15

Memo from the Deputy Minister inviting PDT partners to a teleconference with Minister Broten on Feb. 21. The memo also encouraged partners to participate in meetings with the government table team and specified PDT dates.

Feb. 21

Premier's and Minister's teleconference inviting parties to participate in the PDT process.

Feb. 22

Government funding parameters provided to each organization.

Feb. 28 – Present

PDT discussions with teacher federations, support staff representatives and trustee associations.

Feb. 28

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) withdrew from the PDT process having only completed a single hour of participation.

March 6

Premier McGuinty correspondence to teacher federations, asking the parties to continue discussions with the government table team.

March 27

Ontario 2012 Budget released, including funding parameters.

March 29

Grants for Student Needs (GSN) funding is released to school boards, consistent with the government's publicly stated fiscal parameters.

April 9

Minister Broten publicly encourages ETFO back to the PDT.

April 11

Letter from Minister Broten to school board Chairs outlining the government's fiscal parameters within the GSN. A similar letter is sent from the Deputy Minister to Directors of Education outlining the government's fiscal parameters within the GSN.

April 12

Minister's teleconference with school board Chairs, emphasizing school board responsibility to achieve balanced budgets and negotiate agreements that are within the government's fiscal parameters.

April 12

B-memo from Assistant Deputy Minister Gabriel Sékaly to Directors of Education reiterating the need for school boards to balance budgets.

April 19

Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) withdraws from the PDT process.

May 10

A B-memo is sent from Assistant Deputy Minister Sékaly providing additional information to help boards develop budgets for the 2012-13 school year, which adhere to the funding framework.

May 16

Association des Enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO) withdraws from the PDT process.

May 23

Government announced an amended government funding parameter and provided information to each organization at the PDT table via email. The amended parameter proposed increasing the number of sick days from six to 10.

June 1 – July 5

PDT discussions continue between the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association (OCSTA).

July 4

OCSTA withdraws from the PDT process regarding concerns over a “fair hiring” provision included in a proposed agreement with OECTA.

July 5

OECTA and the ministry sign a memorandum of understanding.

July 9

Letter from Minister Broten to Chairs of trustee associations, executive directors and presidents of federations, encouraging them to return to the PDT process and providing a copy of the OECTA memorandum.

July 12

Government PDT table team meets with OSSTF to discuss the OECTA memorandum.

July 17

Government PDT table team meets with AEFO to discuss the OECTA memorandum.

July 23 – Present

PDT discussions recommence between AEFO, Association franco-ontarienne des conseils scolaires catholiques (AFOCSC) and Association des conseils scolaires des écoles publiques de l'Ontario (ACEPO).

July 24

A B-memo is sent from Assistant Deputy Minister Sékaly to school boards and education partners reiterating the province's fiscal parameters, while encouraging them to pursue local bargaining and negotiate local agreements based on those parameters.

July 30

The Association of Professional Student Services Personnel (APSSP) and the province sign an MOU.

Aug. 8

Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) passed a motion indicating its intention to sign on to the memorandum of understanding reached between the Ministry of Education and the OECTA.

Aug. 9

The Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO) and the province sign an MOU based on the roadmap provided by the July 5th OECTA memorandum.

Aug. 13

The government announced it will introduce a fair hiring regulation that will create a standardized, consistent and transparent approach to hiring occasional teachers for long-term occasional and permanent positions.

Aug. 16

The government announces that it will introduce legislation that would, if passed, ensure that education funding stays in the classroom and the school year starts on track and free from any labour disruptions. The Putting Students First Act would, if passed, require that all local agreements between school boards, teachers and support staff use the Memorandum of Understanding between the government and OECTA as a basis for their final agreements.

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