Ontario government and education union begin contract negotiations




Holly McKenzie-Sutter, Canadian Press



Posted on Monday, July 18, 2022 at 5:56 PM EDT




Bargaining began Monday between the Ontario government and a major education union, the first in a series of talks scheduled with industry labor groups before contracts for teachers and other school workers expire at the end of August.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 55,000 Ontario education workers including early childhood educators, school administration workers, bus drivers and custodians, said negotiations began as scheduled Monday morning. .

More meetings are scheduled this week with unions representing primary, secondary, French and Catholic school teachers, the government said.

Existing contracts will expire on August 31. Unions have said they want to see better pay for members and better educational experiences for students, while the government has emphasized that it wants to see students in class without disruption this fall.

Inflation and the high cost of living are expected to be top of mind during the talks, and both sides are entering negotiations with the baggage of the newly re-elected Progressive Conservatives’ first four years in office.

The latest round of negotiations was tense, with teachers’ strikes and work-to-govern campaigns. House Bill 124, legislation that capped compensation increases for public sector workers at one percent per year, also played a role in the tensions.

Since then, Prime Minister Doug Ford has said that teachers will be offered a raise “above one percent” this time.

CUPE’s Ontario Council of School Boards Unions central bargaining committee said in an update earlier this month that it hoped to negotiate a deal that offers more support to students and “ensures workers’ wages are no longer erode”.

“The frontline education workers you chose to represent you at the bargaining table are ready to strike a fair deal that improves the educational experience for children beginning in September and turns education jobs into jobs people can afford now.” “said the committee. said.

Karen Littlewood, president of the Ontario Federation of Secondary School Teachers, said her union will seek a cost-of-living increase when talks begin on Wednesday, similar to what they sought during the last round of negotiations.

“It shouldn’t surprise anyone that we’re also looking for something similar this time, given that there haven’t really been any substantial increases and the education sector has been constrained by Bill 124,” he said in a statement. interview.

“Hopefully in this round we have something that recognizes the really rising costs that all workers are facing these days, and we can have a little bit of relief for our workers.”

Littlewood said the union wants a raise “that keeps pace with inflation” and emphasized that it “would like to be unconstrained by legislation and able to negotiate.”

“We’ll see what the government brings to the table,” he said.

The president of the Ontario Catholic Teachers of English Association, Barb Dobrowolski, whose first union bargaining date is set for Thursday, highlighted the efforts of education workers during the years of the pandemic to keep the ” Ontario’s world-class publicly funded education system.

“Catholic teachers are committed, as always, to working together to achieve a fair agreement that achieves the best for our students, teachers, education workers and families, recognizing that the working conditions of educators are the learning conditions of our students,” he said in an emailed statement.

“Negotiation can be a long process, but as we know, our schools work best when there is meaningful collaboration between teachers and government.”

Education Minister Stephen Lecce said in a written statement that the government’s priority is to make sure students return to classes “with the full school experience”, echoing comments made earlier by the prime minister.

“We believe that stability is critical for Ontario students, to ensure they stay focused on catching up with the critical skills for life and work, from reading and writing to financial literacy, that will help them succeed” said the statement from Lecce.

“We’re focused on achieving an agreement that keeps students in class without interruption, ensuring students can catch up on their studies and graduate with the skills they need for the jobs of the future.”

Earlier this month, CUPE noted that a memo sent by the deputy deputy education minister said the province is “looking at” four-year terms for education sector collective agreements, rather than the existing three-year terms.

The memo said the four-year term would allow for more stability as students catch up after COVID-19 disruptions and sought input from bargaining agencies on contract options lasting two, four or five years.

The government confirmed on Monday that it is seeking comment on a four-year deal.

CUPE suggested that changing the terms of the contract would benefit the Progressive Conservatives’ re-election bid in 2026.

Littlewood said the OSSTF will discuss the idea at the bargaining table when it is brought up in context with the rest of the agreement. He added that his union shares the government’s goal of having students learn in the classroom by September.

“We have every intention of being in the classroom and supporting the students,” he said.


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