“Our goal was to defend public education and the working and learning conditions that have made Ontario’s education system one of the best in the world. While these negotiations were prolonged and difficult, our educators – with the support from parents and other community members – stood firm in the face of planned government cuts to education,” said ETFO President Sam Hammond.

Members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) have voted in favour of accepting central bargaining agreements reached with the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association and the Council of Trustees’ Associations:

  • ETFO’s teacher and occasional teacher members voted 97% in favour of the 2019-2022 Teacher/Occasional Teacher Central Agreement; and
  • ETFO’s education worker members voted 94% in favour of the 2019-2022 Education Worker Central Agreement.

Highlights of the ETFO central agreements include:

  • A Supports for Students Fund that preserves 100% of special education and priority funding negotiated in 2017;
  • The Kindergarten model, with its teacher/designated early childhood educator (DECE) team, is preserved for the life of the agreement;
  • Proposed government funding cuts of $150 million to public elementary spending were withdrawn;
  • Elementary class size language in local collective agreements is preserved and there will be no class size increases during the life of the agreement;
  • Professional development/learning funds for education workers are increased; and
  • Sustainable funding for member benefits will continue.

“Along with our members, we want to thank parents and other supporters for standing together to defend public education over this past year,” added Hammond.

ETFO locals will now work with their respective school boards to negotiate local collective agreements.

ETFO represents 83,000 elementary public school teachers, occasional teachers and education professionals across the province. Its Building Better Schools education agenda can be viewed at BuildingBetterSchools.ca.