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Members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) have voted 90 per cent in favour of accepting the deal reached with the Ontario government.
This agreement will end more than a year’s worth of negotiations.
“While this round of bargaining was exceptionally lengthy and difficult, ETFO members stood firm in the face of cuts, pressed for improvements to working and learning conditions, and won,” ETFO President Karen Brown said in a statement on Friday.
Brown also said this deal is “proof that the legal bargaining process works when it’s allowed to unfold as intended.”
The deal includes retroactive pay due to Bill 124, a law that capped wage increases for public sector employees at one per cent for three years.
Teachers will now receive an added 0.75 per cent annually for two years, with the third year being referred to an arbitrator.
Another key aspect of this agreement includes violence prevention training for permanent and long-term members on at least one PA Day this academic year.
Additional funding will also be provided for benefits and support staff.
ETFO represents approximately 80,000 full-time and occasional teachers, along with 3,500 designated early childhood educators, education support personnel, and professional support personnel.
Three other teachers’ unions in the province are still without a deal.
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