Ontario elementary teachers awarded almost 12 per cent raise in arbitration

An arbitrator has awarded Ontario’s elementary teachers a raise of nearly 12 per cent over the course of its four-year deal with the province.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario says the Arbitration Board awarded its 80,000 teachers increases of three per cent for the first two years of the agreement that begins from 2022 to 2023.

That is followed by increases of 2.75 per cent and 2.5 per cent for the final two years, which comes out to an 11.73 per cent increase when compounded over the course of the deal.

The elementary teachers ratified their central agreement with the province in December that referred compensation to binding arbitration.

ETFO president Karen Brown says they were right to go to arbitration after offers from the province came in at raises of 1.25 per cent per year.

“This compensation award should have been achieved at the bargaining table. Instead of coming together to reach a fair and reasonable agreement, the Ford government was intent on devaluing our members who are already facing increased violence, insufficient supports for students with special needs, heavy workloads, and burnout. This award highlights the Ford government’s failure to recognize and fairly compensate ETFO members,” said Brown.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the government has delivered stability in the classrooms without threat of interruption from labour strife.