After months of negotiations, cancellation of students’ extra-curricular activities, and student groups’ encouragement, OSSTF and Government Officials have reached an agreement on several issues of labour dispute.
In the early morning hours of 31 March, the Provincial Office of the Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) updated its members on the on-going discussion between government representatives and school board officials regarding the labour dispute. After eight weeks of discussion, the OSSTF and Ontario Government officials have reached an agreement. According to a message from President and Secondary Teachers’ Bargaining Unit (STBU) Executive Ken Coran, the OSSTF has negotiated with board officials for improvements on several areas, including unpaid days, sick and maternity leave, and local bargaining.
OSSTF representatives found inefficiencies in school board fundings to achieve these ends, shuffling funds in order to augment current allowances from the Ministry of Education. “OSSTF proposals first made last spring[] have now been taking seriously and produced results”, wrote OSSTF President Ken Coran in a message to union representatives.
New changes will be discussed with Bargaining Unit Presidents, Chief Negotiators, and members of the Provincial Collective Bargaining Committee on 4 April. There, leaders will review and discuss changes to be implemented. Afterwards, a province-wide vote of all affected members will be conducted on the agreement reached.
The OSSTF and the Government of Ontario are currently operating under a media blackout; no further details or comments will be made publicly until after details from the meeting on 4 April are shared with OSSTF executives and members.
