Ontario elementary teachers reject government’s arbitration offer ahead of strike vote

The union representing thousands of Ontario elementary teachers says it is not interested in the same deal that its secondary school counterparts have agreed to.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has rejected the Ford government’s arbitration offer, the union says it will instead apply for conciliation with the Minister of Labour.

“Over the past year, ETFO’s central bargaining team has attempted to resolve key issues to secure a fair deal for its teacher, occasional teacher, and education worker members. But after a full year of bargaining without sufficient progress and negotiations at a standstill, the Federation is filing for conciliation,” says ETFO President Karen Brown.

“Our members have been incredibly patient, but their patience has run out.”

The possibility of work-to-rule or a strike remains in public elementary schools this fall. They reject an offer from the province that would include binding arbitration. For more: https://t.co/mgQQZFmElC https://t.co/w3CNOTaAg0

— Alex Bloomfield (@Alex_680Radio) August 29, 2023

Conciliation means a non-binding third party will be brought in to work with the union and the government in an attempt to come up with a solution. The alternative would have seen any outstanding issues settled by binding arbitration, thereby avoiding a strike.

“We believe a third party may be able to assist in exploring all options in reaching tentative agreement,” said Brown on Tuesday. “A plan that may be acceptable at the secondary level, may not work at the elementary level where the needs of educators and students are different.”

ETFO has already said it plans to hold strike votes in mid-September and mid-October.

In a statement, Education Minister Stephen Lecce urged ETFO to accept the binding arbitration deal to avert a strike and keep kids in class.

Lecco has previously said the province offered the union private mediation, which was also rejected.

“Not even halfway through our negotiation with ETFO today, the union decided to proceed on the path to a needless strike, instead of negotiating a deal that keeps kids in class,” he said on Tuesday.

At a special meeting Friday, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) voted overwhelmingly to recommend that members enter into a proposal to resolve bargaining with the Ontario government. Education Minister Stephen Lecce said he wants the remaining teachers’ unions to take the same agreement.

Talks between the four major teachers’ unions and the Ford government have been going on for months with little to no progress.

Among the central issues in negotiations is wages, with union officials claiming teachers and education workers have not seen any significant increases to keep up with the cost of living and inflation over the last decade.

ETFO says its members have been without an agreement for nearly a year after collective agreements expired at the end of last August. The union represents approximately 83,000 members, including public elementary teachers, occasional teachers, designated early childhood educators, education support personnel, and professional support personnel.