Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario ratified contract means 950,000 children benefit from three stable school years

BY PAUL JUNOR

In early December the Elementary Teachers of Federation of Ontario (ETFO) ratified its new contract with the provincial government. They voted 90% in favour of a new four-year contract, which will be retroactive from September 1^st, 2022, to August 31^st, 2026. It was on November 21^st, that the tentative agreement was initially announced between ETFO and the provincial government.

ETFO issued a press release on Friday, December 15^th, 2023. Karen Brown, President of ETFO states, “While this round of bargaining was exceptionally lengthy and difficult, ETFO members stood firm in the face of cuts, presses for improvements to working, learning conditions, and won. This agreement is proof that the legal bargaining process works when it’s allowed to unfold as I intended. I want to thank members for their: strength, resistance and persistence.”

Seven of the highlights of the deal are:

1. Funding for 401 FTE new specialist teaching position for the 2024-2025 school year, and an increase in funding in 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to maintain these 401 positions.

• Specialist teachers will fully relieve all Year Two of Kindergarten, and Grades 1 and 2 classroom teachers of their instructional duties while classroom teachers administer the first screener to students in their classrooms.
• Specialist teachers will provide intensive reading support to students who need it and directly administer any additional screener as required.

1. Preservation of the Support for Students (SSF) that funds 432.7 Elementary teaching positions who work directly with students in areas like: special education, Indigenous student supports, English language learned supports, mental health/well-being, behaviour, self-regulation and social-emotional needs.
2. Preservation of sick leave and short-term leave entitlements.
3. Preservation of professional language.
4. Referral of compensation increases (salary and daily occasional teacher rate) to arbitration.
5. A Bill 124 remedy for 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, with a referral to arbitration for a remedy for 2021-2022.
6. A meaningful increase in funding to maintain existing benefits levels for members.

New and innovative measures to address violence in schools include:

• A revision of PPM:128 The Provincial Code of Conduct and School Board Codes of Conduct to address behaviour, consequences and safety.
• Requirements for all schools to have publicity-facing signage that communicates behaviour expectations.
• Redirection of teaching positions in the SSF to support student self-regulation, behaviour, and/or social-emotional needs (as mentioned above).
• New letter of agreement on paid violence prevention health and safety training.
• Renewal of letter of agreement that ensures OTs will have the ability to lock and unlock classroom doors for safety reasons.
• Renewal of the Provincial Working Group on Health and Safety, with a new mandate that this group prioritize violence prevention in its work.
• New violence incident debriefing training for ETFO.

Ontario Education Minister, Stephen Lecce tweeted to show his support for the

contract, “From day one, we have worked to ensure kids can stay in class learning without disruption, with a focus on getting back on basics.” This reflects the Ontario government’s views that the changes made to the Elementary Math and English curriculum will improve the: reading, writing and math skills of students.

He states further, “I am pleased that ETFO has ratified their teachers’ contract agreement, ensuring that 950,000 children benefit from three stable school years.”

Minister Leece is hopeful that other teachers’ unions would be positively influenced by the ETFO’s deal. He notes, “We continue to call on Catholic and French education unions to get their deals done, so that all kids are in class without the threat of disruption, with an emphasis on strengthening essential skills like reading, writing and math.”