Members of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) have ratified a new central agreement with the province.
The union's teachers and occasional teachers voted 97 percent in favour of the deal with the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association and the Council of Trustees’ Associations.
Highlights of the new contract include the withdrawal of $150 million in proposed funding cuts, no increase to class sizes, and a Supports for Students Fund, which will preserve 100 percent of special education and priority funding negotiated in 2017. The deal also includes continued sustainable funding for member benefits.
EFTO President Sam Hammond said on Tuesday the goal was to defend public education and working and learning conditions.
"While these negotiations were prolonged and difficult, our educators – with the support from parents and other community members – stood firm in the face of planned government cuts to education," said Hammond in a news release. “Along with our members, we want to thank parents and other supporters for standing together to defend public education over this past year."
The union began rotating strikes across Ontario January 20 in protest of stalled contract talks with the provincial government.
Strike action was brought to a halt in early March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced schools across Ontario to remain closed for over a month.
ETFO represents 83,000 elementary public school teachers, occasional teachers and education professionals across the province.
Local agreements still have to be negotiated between the union and school boards.
Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce congratulated all parties Tuesday for ratification of the central agreements.
"Like our deals with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the Education Workers' Alliance of Ontario (EWAO) and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) our primary objective was to reach good deals with teachers' and education workers' unions, that will advance the priorities of students and parents," said Lecce. "We now have tentative central agreements with everyone and have delivered five ratified deals to date."
-With files from Dave Dentinger
